Month: February 2021

The  Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Body representative, Coordinator at opposition Homeland Salvation Movement Ishkhan Saghatelyan believes Armenia's  authorities have assessed the demand  for snap elections through a survey within only the ruling force. "Otherwise, we would be able to learn there is real public demand to remove this evil government from power," Saghatelyan told media on Monday, commenting on the recent message by the ruling force about lack of public demand for elections in Armenia. 

Speaking of the possible reasons for refusing to hold elections, the ARFD member insisted the authorities have either realized they have no capacity to get reelected and face serious problems within the own team  or they are confident to get away with the occurred situation and can further promote the fake agenda to asset their rule. 

"However, they are gravely mistaken, since Armenians can not tolerate the actions of these treacherous authorities," stressed Saghatelyan, adding mass protests will resume in the coming days to demand Pashinyan's resignation. 

Saghatelyan noted that the opposition forces have never rejected the idea of snap elections but instead have been the proponents to organize them. "We were against the snap elections organised by Pashinyan and have justified our position," added the opposition

The Armenian opposition has announced a new rally in Yerevan on Saturday, February 20, to again demand the resignation of the current authorities after lawmakers representing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s My Step bloc said on Sunday the premier’s call for fresh parliamentary elections later in 2021 has not received support by either the parliamentary opposition or the public at large.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun) Supreme Council of Armenia member Ishkhan Saghatelyan, who coordinates the activities of the Homeland Salvation Movement, outlined three reasons for the ruling bloc’s decision to abandon the plan for the conduct of snap elections.

"There are three main reasons for the refusal to hold snap elections. First, the prime minister clinging to power has realized that he has no chance of regaining power as a result of elections, it is simply impossible.

“Second, he has realized that if he goes down that path, he will have serious problems with his own team, as most of the "backpacks" that appeared in the parliament by chance have felt the danger of losing their mandates irreversibly.

“Third, they think that the movement has died down, and in case the people are distracted by false agendas for a little while, they will manage to get away with what they have done,” the opposition figure said.

“Thus, they have decided to maintain their grip on power by force, trying to strengthen it by various methods. But they are gravely mistaken, because populist traitors can deceive the people once, but never twice.

“Now the citizens who hoped to get rid of the authorities through elections will take to the streets. Only then will the "proud courageous men” feel the power of the public demand.

“The upcoming rally will take place in the Liberty Square on February 20, at 3pm,” Saghatelyan said.

Also, he said none of the opposition parties, including the parliamentary forces, opposed snap elections. Moreover, they highlighted the need for their conduct, at the same time outlining a clear-cut roadmap for the process, which included Pashinyan’s resignation and formation of an interim government.

"Armenia's former President Robert Kocharyan has no contender in our political arena," the leader of "National Accord" party Aram Harutyunyan told a press conference on Monday. Harutyunyan added that the only way out of the existing situation in Armenia is through consolidation around Kocharyan. 

"In his recent interview, the president presented clear assessments. And his decision to run for elections was very important. He will participate in the political processes, as a patriotic person would act in the current situation," said Harutyunyan. 

The politician believes Robert Kocharyan is a symbolic image for the Armenian nation, like Garegin Nzhdeh who is acknowledged for liberating Syunik. 

"Later, Kocharyan was sent to prison. When we have the symbol of Artsakh war victory in prison, Shushi was naturally handed over to the enemy. Those were signs revealing Pashinyan's intentions. The one thing we should appreciate in Pashinyan is that he always reveals his intentions for the future. With this respect, everything was clear," said the politician.

As to holding snap parliamentary elections, Harutyunyan said authorities are now backpedaling on holding them, bearing in mind that Kocharyan has never lost elections. 

"The fact that Robert Kocharyan was behind the bars was a shame for all of us. That meant that we had not perceived our victory, and the motherland was not ours," said Harutyunyan.

Armenian GM Levon Aronian on Monday will face Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan in the preliminary round of the Opera Euro Rapid tournament, which is the third event of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.

The preliminary stage is a single round robin event. From Saturday until Monday, the participants are playing five games per day to find out which eight players move on to the quarterfinals, reports.

The tournament features a $100,000 prize fund, with $30,000 for first place.

Second Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s lawyer, Hayk Alumyan, again denounced the criminal case against the former president as “political persecution”.

“From the very beginning it was clear to those having insight into the case that political persecution was being carried out,” Alumyan told a news conference on Monday, referring to the criminal case into the alleged overthrow of the constitutional order in 2008 involving Kocharyan and three other former top officials.

He underlined that simply there were differing views on the goals pursued by those who ordered the persecution.

"Now it has become clear to many; the people are getting to understand the actual purpose and target of this political persecution,” Alumyan said.

He recalled that presiding judge Anna Danibekyan interrupted the speech of former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, which contained political assessments, and did not allow him to proceed with it at a court hearing in the case. Alumyan noted that, meanwhile, the reality is different from what the court tries to present.

He believes there will be more cases during the next court hearings when the defense lawyers will try to substantiate their claims on the political persecution against their clients, while the judge will not allow them to present their arguments under the pretext that political statements must not be made in court, whereas the events of March 1 are political and the indictment presents political processes.

MP Arman Abovyan from the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party has reacted to the statement of the ruling My Step bloc’s parliamentary faction following a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday.

The My Step faction said in the statement that the premier’s call for snap elections later in 2021 has not received support by either the parliamentary opposition or the public at large.

"Pashinyan's political team is again trying to lie ineptly, or rather they are lying in a shameless way,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Let me remind them that the parliamentary opposition, represented by the Prosperous Armenia faction and Gagik Tsarukyan personally, refused to discuss with Pashinyan ONLY the conditions for holding elections and the remaining issues (under the current regime), righteously demanding that Pashinyan step down without political bargaining.

“Moreover, Tsarukyan himself has repeatedly stated that there is no alternative to a change of government in Armenia and snap elections must be held after Pashinyan's resignation and the transitional period. So stop lying, it will not help you extend your grip on power,” Abovyan said. 

Political analyst Alen Ghevondyan took to Facebook on Monday to weigh in on the possible consequences of the authorities’ decision not to hold snap parliamentary elections in the country.

His comments came after Sunday’s statement of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s My Step bloc that the premier’s call for snap elections later in 2021 has not received support by either the parliamentary opposition or the public at large.

“The agenda for the early elections seems to have been closed because it has failed to receive any guarantees. On the other hand, political actions on the streets will take a new turn if the opposition figures fix what they want, how they are going to achieve it and whether or not they have a firm, uncompromising stance,” he wrote on Facebook.

Ghevondyan attached importance to the fact whether they will withstand the “compromising material” on them and whether the state interests will prevail over the personal interests.

“By the way, during this period someone may be very lucky in the event of a renewed war. Moreover, he personally can provoke it.

"The days are getting warmer. Have you at least followed the techniques used during the [Turkish-Azerbaijani] military exercises in Kars?” Ghevondyan said.

Also, he noted that the decision to cancel the snap elections is not bad for the opposition. 

The process of determining Armenia's borders is taking place under the threat of war and use of force, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said in a statement late on Sunday. The full text of his statement is provided below.

"The presence of Azerbaijani armed forces (flags and signs) on the roads connecting the communities of Syunik Province of the Republic of Armenia contradicts the foundations of the international human rights system, violates the rule of law and, consequently, lacks any legal basis.

They have arrived and appeared in those places because:

1) Ethnic cleansing and genocidal policy towards Armenians was carried out in Artsakh by terrorist with terrorizing methods and means.

2) They tortured and treated inhumanely both the civilians and the military, and committed many other atrocities (beheadings of people alive, desecration of bodies, etc.);

3) Jihadists and ISIS terrorists were used against Artsakh, who in turn, committed war crimes and atrocities against Armenians.

4) The civilian settlements of Artsakh were subjected to deliberate mass destruction, including with the use of banned cluster weapons.

5) From the outset, the war was accompanied and fueled by the state policy of encouraging anti-Armenian hatred and incitement of hostility towards Armenians on the basis of ethnicity (an institutional policy in place for many years).

6) During the war, more than 100,000 Armenian civilians were displaced from their permanent residences, and about 40,000 people were left homeless as the direct consequence of the war.

7) The highest authorities of Azerbaijan and Turkey also speak openly about Armenia and the entire Armenian people by n making use of language of genocidal threats (for example, their utterances during the military event in Baku on December 10, 2020).

8)The highest bodies of the Azerbaijani government. as well as public figures there, go further by making statements insulting Armenians and target the entire Armenian people. This, in order to humiliate, to strip Armenians of their dignity, and so as to encourage same by publicly inciting hatred.

9) The process of determining Armenia's borders is taking place under the threat of war and use of force.

10) Due to the threat of war, the borders are determined by mechanical methods and at impermissible speeds, without professional work, and with gross violations of international rules.

11) The rights and legal interests of the border residents of Armenia are ignored.

12) The process is accompanied by gross violations of property, economic activity and other socio-economic rights of the border residents of Armenia (people are deprived of their property and left homeless);

13) Serious endangerment of the lives and dignity of the border residents of Syunik and Gegharkunik regions are taking place. Generally speaking, the rights of the entire population of Armenia, their physical safety, mental anguish and overall vitality are all affected;

14) There is no predictability for the residents of border areas as to any action likely to next take place, which in turn has brought to them an uncertainty as to what’s next, and whether there is a schedule of any kind for anything coming up.

Therefore, the determination of borders with the described approaches will not promote the peaceful coexistence of peoples in the region. On the contrary, it will create fertile ground for incessant hatred and enmity towards Armenians in Azerbaijan, continuous gross human rights violations and other dangerous manifestations."