Category: 2020

BY JOSEPH KAZAZIAN

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the prolific Democrat and statesman Tip O’Neill once famously quipped that “all politics is local.”

Whether that is County Committee, City Council, Board of Supervisors, College Board, School Board, hell, even pallbearer if it were an elected position, requires the elected official to be a trustee of the voter, and someone who can relate to the issues of their community.

Good people make good policy. Good policy makes good law. In our state, Democrats are very much in charge, and it does not appear that that will change soon. However, in the spirit of democracy, each party has its organs, its members, and its decisionmakers. One of the most important functions that political parties have are their central committees, which in California are divided by their respective assembly district. Los Angeles has its own Democratic County Central Committee, which represents over 2.7 million democrats and makes decisions that have not just a local effect, but nationwide.

You may wonder, what is a Democratic County Central Committee anyway? Believe it or not, dear readers, it encompasses some of the most vital and important decisionmaking as it relates to the California Democratic Party, its platform, the candidates they endorse, where money is allocated, among many other functions. Perhaps in this hyper-partisan time, with infighting even among Democrats and Liberals, you need someone who can navigate these schisms and make decisions for all Angelenos, and for all of California.

Elen Asatryan is more than qualified to be the person who represents my interests, and many others interests in the California Democratic Party. As mentioned above, good people make good policy. Good policy makes good law. I can personally vouch for Elen.

I met Elen sometime around 2011, when I was starting off as an intern at the ANCA Western Region, while she was the Executive Director of the ANCA Glendale. I think we both bonded over the fact that we wore Mickey Mouse printed shoes.

We really began to work together for the first time in 2013, as several city campaigns overlapped in Los Angeles and Glendale. After crossing paths at mixers, we finally got the opportunity to work together; that led to the beginning of a great work partnership and the blossoming of a time-tested friendship. While Elen was Executive Director of the ANCA Western Region, I was a member of the ANCA Western Region’s Government Affairs Committee.

Since those times, Elen and I led advocacy groups up to Sacramento, worked on state and federal projects, and even had a minor role in a Velvet Revolution you might have heard about. The level of trust that has developed with the battles we have fought for the community and its interests is beyond words. Knowing Elen, I am lucky to know that there is a fighter like her on our side.

But there’s more to it, at least for me, to be a good leader. Every person in public life starts somewhere. As an activist, I’ve had the (mis)fortune of meeting many elected officials and candidates in different capacities. I’ve met many people who show up as a candidate for office who promise the world, but in reality, think they are God’s gift to humanity (I wish I was kidding.) However, it is a rare quality to meet people who run for public office that are actually-wait for it-regular people like me and you.

Elen is one of the most compassionate people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. In some of the most trying times of my life, she’s lent an ear. She’s given invaluable advice. But I think one of the most endearing qualities that Elen has is the ability to never allow someone to feel left out or unimportant in the process.

She is tough, smart, never minces words, and a true fighter for her loved ones and her community. As time passes, our friendship and our resolve has gotten deeper; for leading this community into a better position than it might have been in before we arrived into it.

Elen is the consummate leader, and for those participating in the upcoming election, Elen Asatryan deserves your vote. The Democratic Party would be lucky to have her. So if you live in the 43rd assembly district (Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta-Montrose, La Cañada Flintridge, and L.A. neighborhoods in 90027, 90029, 90068 and most of 90039), are a registered democrat, or you have declined to state a political party preference, and request a democratic ballot – you can vote by mail or at 1,000 voter centers throughout LA County between Feb 22-March 3rd. Learn more at ElectElen.com.

BY VICKEN SOSIKIAN

Last week the ruling party in Armenia, led by Nikol Pashinyan, held a fundraising event to benefit the “yes” campaign in support of the unconstitutional and illegal referendum set for April 5. An estimated half million dollars were raised in one night.

The very next day we saw the unveiling of the “yes” campaign logo. Pashinyan’s camp paid $6,000 for the logo that depicts the Armenian word for “yes” in a font that strikingly resembles the letters of the Russian alphabet. The graphic is a direct copy of the logo used to support the 1991 Armenian referendum – an irresponsibly high price paid to copy-paste a design.

Some of the half million dollars raised have also been apparently allocated to the production of a music video encouraging Armenian citizens to vote “yes” on April 5.

The production marks a new low in deceptive campaigning and arguably crosses into unethical electoral messaging.

The central point being made in the clip equates a “yes” vote to a “yes” to the revolution, a “yes” to justice and a “yes” to freedom. Other than the singer, the music video focuses exclusively on Pashinyan.

There is not a single mention of what the “yes” vote is really about – changing Article 213 of the Armenian Constitution, to oust seven of the sitting constitutional court justices and secure their replacement by Pashinyan’s camp.

The “yes” camp is framing the referendum as a vote for justice, freedom and the ideals of 2018 people’s movement, while in reality the situation is the exact opposite.

Should they secure the needed 648,000 “yes” votes on April 5, the Pashinyan camp will control all three branches of the Armenian state – yet another violation of the Armenian Constitution and a dangerous blow to the democratic progresses made in the country.

All this for a referendum bull-dozed through in violation of the Constitution (articles 168, 169), the Constitutional Law Regarding Referendums (Article 8, Part 2) and the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly (Article 86).

To add insult to injury, the referendum will cost $7 million to taxpayers.

This is definitely not what Armenians the world over took to the street to accomplish in the spring of 2018.

Every Armenian who believes in the ideals of democracy, understands the importance of balancing power and wishes to see an Armenia where the rule of law prevails, must raise a red flag now.

This is a classic case of “speak up now or forever hold your peace…” or more accurately, “speak up now or forever pay the price.”

BY MIKE MKHITAR MORADIAN, Ph.D.

In the past few months there were some major developments in the Republic of Armenia that require evaluations. The government of Prime Minister Pashinyan has been successful to slow down the immigration, keep an eye on corruption, and maintain a reasonable hope in the Armenian people both in the Republic and the diaspora.

So, let’s begin with “THE GOOD.” Overall, since no miracle was anticipated, the general affairs in the Republic have remained the same and have not gotten worse, a positive situation compared to the previous regime. A few important and required steps have been taken, most notably, the increase in the minimum wage. A long overdue increase in minimum wage gave the workers in Armenia a partial relief. Although majority of the workers in the country had higher wages than the previous minimum wage this increase made it official that the employers cannot abuse their workers and will have to pay according to the law. Also, a small increase in newborn baby assistance was a positive step and hopefully will not be the last one.

Construction of new roads have also been a positive step, despite the fact that some may argue that the construction of new roads is the government’s responsibility. In that sense, prime minister Pashinyan’s government has been responsible. Lastly, the reduction in apparent corruption, which was widespread in the former government’s time, is admirable. We all know that rooting out corruption is a long term process and cannot happen overnight. Fortunately, the Armenian government has been able to create an environment in the country that has been discouraging to the corrupt officials, maintaining hope that the country is on the right track to minimize corruption.

Well, not all has been good, there has also been “THE BAD.” Prime minister Pashinyan promised us during the velvet revolution that there will be national unity such that the national values and the will of the Armenian people will guide the government’s policy. However, some recent actions by his cabinet members have broken that promise. Let’s begin with the education minister’s order to remove the requirement for certain courses in the higher educational institutions to be taught in Armenian. Regardless of what the education minister’s intents were, this move was wrong. In a time that our national values and culture, including the Armenian language, has to be given the utmost attention we cannot afford any move to weaken them.

We, in Glendale, have worked hard to create an Armenian flag program, which is supported by the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD). Learning the regular school subjects such as math, science, social studies, and others are neither required nor enforced in America, yet a local government in a small city in the United States is providing it for its citizens. It is absurd to see the education minister of the Republic of Armenia work diligently to remove the Armenian language requirement from the higher education curriculum. Any attempt to weaken and discredit the Armenian language in any shape or form is wrong and bad for the Republic and the Armenians in the diaspora. It is against preserving and strengthening the national values and unity.

The second bad decision that was recently made by the health minister of PM Pashinyan’s government was to close labor and delivery/childbirth units in some villages, especially the one in the border village of Achajour (Աչաջուր) in Tavoosh. The brave people of Achajour, who live under Azerbaijan’s direct fire, did not deserve to see that the only labor and delivery/childbirth unit in their village, that also served the neighboring villages, to be closed. The health minister’s reason for closing their labor and delivery unit was citing its substandard conditions, which seems to be a very logical reason for a government official who lives in Yerevan. But to me, as a healthcare executive and strategist, is short-cited and childish (and I suffice with these two words). The health minister needs to learn that strategies are not planned in offices, they are planned in Gemba, the Japanese word for “the actual place,” this is a Lean term for implementing continuous improvements.

Citing lack of European standards for a labor and delivery unit in a border village in Armenia is not only absurd but is also dangerous. We all know that this unit does not meet the international standards, that is no news, what we need to do is to bring it up to those standards. Providing the best childbirth center for a border village is the correct strategy, not closing it. There is often exchange of fire between Azeris and Armenian forces in Achajour, the Azeri forces also shoot at the boarder villages, especially at nights. The sound of a single gunshot can trigger any pregnant women to go into labor who now has to wait hours to be transferred to a much farther childbirth center to have her child. I recommend that the health minister reverses his decision and start a project to upgrade the childbirth center in Achajour with advanced equipment and proper staffing. This is not just a healthcare decision it impacts national security as well.

Now let’s talk about “THE UGLY.” Recently different elements in the government and national assembly have increased their criticism of patriotism and nationalism in the country. Most notably, the relentless attacks on the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and its members, who have been a symbol of patriotism and nationalism for over a century. A month or so ago the ARF youth organizations requested the resignation of the education minister for his unpatriotic decisions.

Prime minister Pashinyan went to the national assembly and expressed his discontent with that move. I watched his presentation on the TV, and to my surprise, he made some bold comments about the ARF without actually naming it. Prime minister Pashinyan said if this party wants to have a future in the country, they should stop acting like this, which means stop criticizing my government. I am forced to say that the future of the political parties in a given democratic country is decided by the people. Democratically elected leaders don’t decide the future of the other political parties, the dictators do.

Prime minister also gave an example, which included a chu-chu train to take that political party away. Here, too, I am forced to remind him, since he forgets, that with the exception of the ARF, tens of different political parties have been created in Armenia (some overnight) and have disappeared almost as fast as they were created, like spring flowers. Also, whenever the ARF criticizes the government’s inappropriate moves the prime minister quickly reminds all that the ARF was collaborating with the previous corrupt regime to cast a shadow on their criticisms. Ironically, the prime minister was an acquaintance to the leader of the first corrupt regime in Armenia, namely Levon Ter-Petrosian. I suggest that the prime minister finds another argument since this one is getting old.

The ARF has a new leadership and a new set of principles and policies in Armenia. The prime minister’s attempts to discredit the ARF in Armenia has created a dangerous environment such that many ARF members in the government have been fired from their jobs with no reason or have been forced to quit. This systematic attempt to weaken the ARF ranks through putting economic pressure on its members is pathetic and a remnant of the previous regimes. It is a shame to do the same while the prime minister takes pride in being different from his predecessors. Another example is when a national assembly member allowed himself to call the ARF, an assassin group. Armenians don’t call the ARF assassins, the Turks do. On the contrary, the Armenians see the ARF as the most organized, influential, and patriotic party.

Also, some government officials in Armenia have tried to show that the ARF in Armenia is different than the ARF in the other parts of the world such as the Western US, a divide and conquer attempt. This ridiculous idea cannot be taken seriously by anyone. The very existence of the ARF is predicated upon its worldwide unity, please read the history of the ARF. In fact, just a few weeks ago the leader of the supreme council of the ARF in Armenia was warmly welcomed by hundreds of party members in the Western US, showing their unconditional support for the party’s new leadership. Therefore, the Armenian government has to stop weakening patriotism and nationalism in the country and limit promoting neoliberal ideologies. In a country sandwiched between two vicious enemies, landlocked, and with limited resources only patriotic and nationalistic ideologies should be promoted.

The Armenian people are patriotic and have proved it several times in the last century, it is the moral and ethical duty of the government to choose the best ways to guarantee the national security of the country. The ARF has been an undisputed champion of patriotism and nationalistic ideologies and its members have sworn to serve the Armenian people and the country. I urge the prime minister to restrict the unpatriotic rhetoric and actions and to find ways to create the national unity. An all-inclusive, patriotic, and thoughtful approach will not only strengthen Armenia’s statehood, it will also prepare a new generation of young Armenians who will guarantee the future of the country.

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—The work of Armenia’s sole medical center specializing in the treatment of HIV and AIDS was disrupted on Friday as 80 percent of its employees resigned in protest against the government’s decision to merge it with another clinic.

The Armenian Ministry of Health, which initiated the decision earlier this year, says that the Republican Center for the Prevention of AIDS must be incorporated into a Yerevan hospital which treats other infectious diseases, including the flu and similar viruses.

Health Minister Arsen Torosyan insisted earlier in February that Armenia no longer needs a specialized HIV/AIDS clinic and that it now makes more sense to have all infectious diseases treated by a single medical institution. “The fight against AIDS must be integrated into the overall healthcare system,” he said.

The affected HIV/AIDS medics strongly disagree, saying the dissolution of their center, which has detected up to 450 cases of HIV annually in Armenia, would break up what they describe as a well-functioning system of preventing, tracking and treating the immunodeficiency disease.

“In three, four or five years from now we will have … an uncontrolled epidemic,” Arshak Papoyan, who heads one of the center’s divisions, claimed on Friday.

The government’s decision also sparked protests by many of the HIV-positive Armenians who receive free antiretroviral drugs and counseling at the center. Earlier this week, about 150 of them signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urging him to reverse it.

The HIV/AIDS patients are particularly worried about Torosyan’s intention to “decentralize” services provided by the Republican Center. That includes transferring the distribution of antiretroviral drugs from the center to regular policlinics across the country. According to Torosyan, this will de-stigmatize HIV and AIDS and get people suffering from it out of social “isolation.”

HIV carriers counter that any breach of the confidentiality guaranteed by the center would only worsen discrimination encountered by them and the stigma associated with their disease. “None of us will go to a policlinic or the Nork hospital [in Yerevan,]” one of them told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

On Wednesday, Torosyan fired the center’s longtime director, Samvel Grigoryan, for his refusal to help implement the controversial merger. Just hours later, Grigoryan’s deputy, Aram Hakobyan, was briefly detained by police for allegedly refusing to hand the clinic’s official seal to Artur Berberyan, its acting director appointed by the minister.

It emerged on Friday at least 86 of the 108 people working at the center have tendered their resignations in response to the government’s failure to meet their demand.

“The conditions that have been created by various Ministry of Health officials make our continued work impossible,” Hakobyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

“It’s not about an individual, it’s about preserving a system,” said another senior HIV/AIDS medic, Janetta Petrosyan.

Berberyan deplored the mass resignations of the center’s staff. He warned that their “inactivity” could be deemed a criminal offense.