HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN COULD BECOME POTENTIAL THREAT TO SARGSYAN’S RULE: US AMBASSADOR
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09.05.2011 09:30
On Oct. 9, 2008, then US Ambassador to Armenia Marie L. Yovanovitch
met with National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan (pictured). In
this, their first official meeting, the then new parliamentary
speaker “blasted” the opposition for “blackening” the image of
Armenia, asking the US ambassador to use US influence to moderate
the Levon Ter-Petrossin (LTP)-led opposition movement, according to
a confidential Oct. 29, 2008 cable recently published by WikiLeaks.
Abrahamyan appealed to the Ambassador for the Embassy to stop providing
the opposition with support. “The Speaker said such support was
‘harming our country,’ and that the opposition would be better off
devoting itself to preparing for the next parliamentary elections in
three years’ time. (COMMENT: In fact, we provide no support to the
opposition of any kind, although our frequent advocacy of political
freedoms and human rights can be misunderstood by the likes of
Abrahamyan as pro-LTP.)”
During the meeting, Abrahamyan played down the relevancy of the
opposition, saying that “‘their numbers are decreasing because they
have nothing to tell the public.’ Abrahamyan also pointed to the
resounding loss of LTP ally Ararat Zurabyan in the Sept. 28 election
for the post of Yerevan central district prefect as further evidence
of the lack of public confidence in the opposition. (COMMENT: Local
and international observers, including our own from the Embassy,
reported widespread irregularities in the conduct of the vote as
well as the vote count. However, Abrahamyan has a point about LTP’s
decreasing public support and lack of a compelling message.)”
Yovanovitch writes that in reference to the Mar. 1-2 post-election
unrest, Abrahamyan “said the authorities are not scared of the
opposition, but do fear provocations that seek to frame the authorities
for violence initiated by the opposition. Abrahamyan complained that
he has not heard ‘any constructive statements’ from the opposition
on the issues of reform currently underway in Armenia.
He declared that every country needs a constructive opposition,
‘not enemies’.
“In response, the Ambassador enumerated the continuing concerns of
the US government: that the conduct of the presidential election was
significantly flawed; that some of those detained during the Mar. 1
unrest appeared to have been arrested because of their political
activities; that there appeared to be a denial of fair, speedy justice
in many of the ongoing trials of those detained; that the electronic
media was being unfairly manipulated by the authorities so as to give
a one-sided picture of the situation; and that the political rights of
citizens to associate and assemble continued to be severely curtailed.
The Ambassador urged the government to resolve all these issues
and ‘turn the page’ on such an unfortunate chapter in Armenia’s
post-independence history.”
Abrahamyan admitted violations in the presidential election, but not
enough to influence the outcome, reads the cable.
“Abrahamyan also defended the banning of opposition rallies on various
grounds. He first argued that ‘we have not denied, but proposed new
venues’ to the opposition when their requests have come in. (COMMENT:
The alternative venues offered by the authorities are comparable to
denying protesters in Washington access to the Mall and offering them
instead the parking lot of RFK stadium.) The Ambassador objected
to the Speaker’s rationale for banning the opposition’s rallies,
and noted that in the 90 rally requests submitted since Mar., only
two were permitted for the originally requested venue. She reiterated
that by continually depriving the opposition their right to be heard,
the authorities only aggravated the situation.”
The National Assembly speaker said, however, he was prepared to
open the parliamentary platform to “all political forces, people and
the public” to allow open discussions to take place, as long as the
discussions are based on objective, reasonable criticism. Abrahamyan
said that ‘we are ready to listen to their critiques,’ and that the
Ambassador will see in practice that ‘we are inclined to a constructive
approach,’ and that ‘we are democratic people’.”
The parties also discussed the Millennium Challenge Program (MCC),
with the parliamentary speaker urging the Ambassador to end its limited
funding suspension. “Abrahamyan said he hoped the Ambassador could
‘intervene to undo its delay.’ When told by the Ambassador that the
program was delayed because of its failing eligibility indicators,
the Speaker feigned surprise and said it was ‘news to me’.”
Yovanovitch informed Abrahamyan that “until Armenia substantively
addressed the fallout from the flawed presidential election and the
post-election violence, as well as its failing indicators, the future
of MCC would be in question. The Ambassador reiterated that it would
help if the authorities did three things: adjudicate in a transparent,
fair manner all of the cases of those detained in relation to the
election; allow people to demonstrate legally who want to; and allow
the media to work and report more freely.”
In the commentary which concludes the cable, the US ambassador writes,
“Abrahamyan typifies the type of Republican politician that makes up a
large chunk of the parliament and of the ruling party establishment:
politico-oligarchs who use political power to advance their business
interests and vice versa. Such figures brought Sargsyan to power, but
also could become a potential threat to Sargsyan’s rule if he moves
overtly against their interests. Over time, Abrahamyan’s political fate
may be a bellwether of reform prospects during President Sargsyan’s
Administration. At the moment, it is not clear to us whether he won his
current position because he enjoys Sargsyan’s trust and confidence,
or conversely whether he wrested the job from Sargsyan unwillingly,
and Sargsyan did not feel secure enough in his position to refuse.”