Author: Ara Felekian

                                        Friday, 
Dashnak Leader Ousted From Party For Not Backing Pashinian
Armenia - Aghvan Vartanian, a leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, 
speaks at a news conference in Yerevan, 26Dec2016.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has expelled one of its 
longtime leaders, Aghvan Vartanian, from its ranks because of his refusal to 
back opposition leader Nikol Pashinian’s bid to become prime minister.
Dashnaktsutyun voiced support for Pashinian’s opposition movement after pulling 
out of Armenia’s governing coalition following the April 23 resignation of 
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. Accordingly, it decided that the seven members 
of the Armenian parliament affiliated with must vote for Pashinian’s becoming 
the country’s new premier at a May 1 session of the National Assembly.
During that session, Vartanian unexpectedly announced that he will not vote for 
the outspoken oppositionist who has led massive anti-government protests that 
have rocked Armenia. While acknowledging the sincerity of Pashinian’s 
pro-democracy agenda, he said that the protests could be exploited by 
unspecified foreign powers and result in “irreversible bitter consequences” for 
the country. He did not elaborate.
Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in Armenia was quick to accuse Vartanian of 
violating the century-old party’s strict internal discipline and demand his 
resignation from the parliament. Vartanian tendered his resignation on 
Thursday. He will be replaced by another Dashnaktsutyun member.
The Dashnaktsutyun leadership announced on Friday that it has discussed the 
“disciplinary issue” and decided to also expel Vartanian from the party.
A former newspaper editor, Vartanian has been one of Dashnaktsutyun’s most 
prominent figures since 1990. The 59-year-old has held various leadership 
positions in the pan-Armenian party. He served as Armenia’s minister for labor 
and social affairs from 2003-2008.
Senior MP Won’t Rule Out Defections From Sarkisian’s Party
        • Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Deputies from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia at a parliament 
session in Yerevan 28 February 2018.
A senior lawmaker acknowledged on Friday that Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican 
Party (HHK) might lose control over Armenia’s current parliament if opposition 
leader Nikol Pashinian is elected prime minister next week.
The 105-member parliament is scheduled to again vote on Pashinian’s candidacy 
on May 8.The HHK, which now controls at least 55 parliament seats, has promised 
to ensure that he garners enough votes to replace Sarkisian as prime minister.
Gevorg Kostanian, the chairman of a key parliament committee representing the 
HHK, commented cautiously on further political developments in the county. He 
only suggested that Pashinian would either lead a minority government or gain a 
majority in the current National Assembly.
“In a parliamentary republic, the government changes if there is a change of 
the parliament majority,” Kostanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service 
(Azatutyun.am). He said that could happen “if someone leaves a particular 
faction or if factions form coalitions.”
Asked whether that means some deputies may defect from the HHK faction to the 
Pashinian camp, Kostanian said: “From the political standpoint, it’s a bit hard 
for me to make forecasts … But from the legal standpoint everything is 
possible.”
Armenia -- Opposition leader Nikol Pashinian meets with parliament deputies 
from the Republican Party, 30 April 2018.
Pashinian is now fully backed by the three other parliamentary forces: the Yelk 
and Tsarukian alliances and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He has 
repeatedly said that once elected prime minister he will try to push through 
major amendments to Armenian electoral legislation and force fresh 
parliamentary elections. It is not yet clear whether the HHK leadership will 
agree to that.
The Armenian constitution stipulates that snap elections must be called only if 
the parliament twice fails to elect a prime minister or refuses to approve a 
policy program submitted by a newly formed cabinet. Pashinian has said during 
massive anti-government protests organized by him that he would therefore seek 
a parliamentary vote of no confidence in case of his premiership.
Edmon Marukian, a senior Yelk lawmaker, said he is optimistic that Pashinian 
and his allies will convince most lawmakers to accept such a scenario. 
“Otherwise, the political crisis will continue,” he warned.
Karabakh Hopes For Quick End To Armenian Crisis
        • Astghik Bedevian
Nagorno-Karabakh - An Armenian parliamentary delegation (L) meets with 
Karabakh's political and military leaders in Stepanakert, 4 May 2018.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s political leadership expressed hope on Friday that the 
political crisis in Armenia will be resolved soon “in a peaceful and legal way.”
Bako Sahakian, the Karabakh president, discussed the recent dramatic 
developments in Yerevan with visiting representatives of the four political 
groups represented in Armenia’s parliament. According to his press office, 
Sahakian told them that “internal political stability” in Armenia is also vital 
for Karabakh’s security.
The Armenian parliamentary delegation visiting Stepanakert included Ararat 
Mirzoyan, a close associate of opposition leader Nikol Pashinian, who looks set 
to become Armenia’s new leader after three weeks of massive protests that have 
forced Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian to resign.
Sahakian travelled to Armenia nearly two weeks ago to try to help defuse 
mounting political tensions there. He held a series of political consultations 
with Pashinian, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and former Presidents 
Robert Kocharian and Levon Ter-Petrosian last week.
Karabakh’s Armenian-backed military said, meanwhile, that Azerbaijan could 
exploit the political turmoil in Yerevan and launch offensive military 
operations along “the line of contact” around Karabakh. Baku denied massing 
troops and military hardware there, however.
Incidentally, the commander of Karabakh’s Defense Army, Lieutenant General 
Levon Mnatsakanian, was also preset at Sahakian’s meeting with the Armenian 
parliamentarians.
Armenia -- Bako Sahakian (R) meets Nikol Pashinian in Yerevan, 24Apr2018
A top aide to Sahakian, Davit Babayan, said earlier in the day that he hopes 
the crisis will be resolved “as soon as possible.” He also indicated that the 
Karabakh leadership is prepared for a leadership change in Armenia.
“If the people of Armenia and all political forces represented in Armenia’s 
parliament make a choice congruent with the constitution and laws and help to 
stabilize the internal political situation, what can Artsakh (Karabakh) say? 
Artsakh is ready to work with leaders elected by the will of Armenia’s people 
and political forces,” Babayan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
While in Stepanakert, the Armenian lawmakers were also due to meet with their 
Karabakh colleagues.
“I think it’s important for us to understand how the parties represented in 
[Armenia’s] National Assembly have responded to these events and what lessons 
they have learned,” said Hayk Khanumian, an opposition member of Karabakh’s 
parliament. “After all, something amazing has happened: the Armenian society 
has become more mature than Armenia’s political elite.”
Press Review
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says that on May 8 Armenia will either have a “legitimate 
prime minister” or be thrust into further political uncertainty. “All the 
indications that there will be no shocks and the velvet revolution will reach 
yet another milestone on May 8,” writes the paper. “Yet another but not the 
last one. Under the most logical scenario, that will be followed by pre-term 
parliamentary elections. Only as a result of those elections will a new 
government be formed. In the meantime, an atmosphere of major or minor 
uncertainty will reign in the country because the HKK will maintain a majority 
in the parliament, the most important state body, and could take, at least in 
theory, some actions against the velvet revolution.”
“Zhamanak” wonders whether the HHK will really honor its pledge to help install 
Pashinian as prime minister on May 8. The paper warns that by opposing a 
“smooth transfer of power” to the Pashinian-led popular movement the party 
still headed by Serzh Sarkisian would only deepen the political crisis in the 
country.
“The task of regime change seems to have been finally accomplished in Armenia,” 
writes “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.” “Unless something extraordinary happens, Nikol 
Pashinian will become prime minister on May 8 with the help of all 
parliamentary forces. Equally important is the question of who the next 
opposition will be. After all, everyone understands that without adequate and 
strong opposition we cannot have an adequate society and a strong state.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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