ArmeniaNow.com
26 March 2004
Say You Want a Revolution?: Opposition parties say change of power only
weeks away
By Zhanna Alexanyan ArmeniaNow reporter
Armenia ‘s fractured and, so far, politically impotent oppositional parties
are rumbling again with talk of a change of power and comparing their aim
with Armenia ‘s break from Soviet control nearly 16 years ago.
The republic’s 10 or so oppositional parties maintain that President Robert
Kocharyan’s election a year ago was illegitimate. Some are whispering
revolution, and hanging hopes on a resolution adopted by the Constitutional
Court last April 17, which allows for a Referendum of Confidence within a
year of that date.
Since February 2, the Ardarutiun (Justice) oppositional bloc of the National
Assembly has boycotted Assembly meetings in protest of the current
government.
And in something like pre-election campaigns, the bloc, led by secretary of
the Justice faction at the Parliament Victor Dallakyan, has organized
meetings to strategize and even established a headquarters it says will be
used for the eventual change of power.
The coalition of opposition parties strengthened this week, when the
National Unity Party, led by one-time presidential candidate Artashes
Geghamyan added its support to the Justice Bloc.
But, typical of 2003’s pre-presidential campaign, when 16 parties agreed to
form a union, but couldn’t agree on a single candidate to represent the
union, the bloc lacks a unified aim at how to achieve its purpose.
“Some (bloc members) insist it’s still possible to try to pass a law in the
National Assembly and hold a Referendum of Confidence. Others believe it’s
not possible,” says Hanrapetutiun (Republic) party leader Albert Bazeyan.
“The nearest time for the beginning of activities was set for the end of
March and the furthest date is from April 10 to 12.”
The People’s Party of Armenia (PPA) agrees with the Justice Bloc’s
timeframe, however, the National Unity party says May is the time for
action.
In any case, while Kocharyan’s “illegitimate” government has a year of
relative calm on its ledger, oppositional leaders – perhaps still envious of
Georgia ‘s successful opposition that overthrew a president – are calling
for revolution.
“Only one constitutional possibility for change of power is left, which is
mentioned in the second paragraph of the Constitution, ‘In the Republic of
Armenia power belongs to the people’,” says Hanrapetutiun secretary Suren
Surenyants. “People can gain that right only with the help of revolution,
the way it was in 1988.”
Surenyants says former Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan is the man to lead the
revolution. But then adds that another or two might also fulfill the task.
“Our party offers a model of change of power by means of democratic
revolution and we are sure under the leadership of Aram Sargsyan it will be
the best way of bringing that model into life,” Surenyants says. “However,
Hanrapetutiun doesn’t exclude the possibility of having Stepan Demirchyan or
Artashes Geghamyan as a leader because in any case people must decide by
means of elections, who will become president.”
A strategy of action is still somewhat a bloc secret, as it doesn’t want to
tip the administration to its intentions.
It is clear, however, that any groundswell of support will start in the
regions, where oppositional rallies are already routine. In response, in
fact, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan has urged members of the government
to visit the regions to offset the influence of opposition propaganda.
Press Secretary of the Justice Bloc Ruzan Khachatryan says visits to regions
are very important for the opposition, as during those visits they prepare
people for a change of power. She says April 10 to 13 will be the time for
revolt.
The Justice Bloc is also expected to organize two mass rallies in Yerevan ,
after which it will urge supporters to conduct sit-ins outside the
Presidential Residence.
“Power must be changed,” says leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen
Manukyan. But he raises questions concerning things which must be done after
the change.
“People will agree to rise in the name of some ideas, in the name of change
of power only in case they know for sure what is taking place,” the former
presidential candidate says.
Manukyan further concludes that the opposition lacks unity and needs a clear
leader.
“We need unity to change the power. Different candidates from the bloc got
different percents (during presidential elections) but the opposition has no
leader as it was in 1988 when the Karabakh Committee was a valuable leader,”
he says. “All of them are ‘black boxes’ for me as none of them are
experienced in political struggle and none of them have strongly pronounced
ideas.”
If revolution is to come, it will count on the opposition’s belief that
there is widespread discontent and a crisis of confidence – claims Kocharyan
rebutted recently in an address at Yerevan State University .
“To say there is a political crisis in the country where there is 13.9
percent of economic growth, where, according to all showings, considerable
developments are obvious, means not to understand quite well what ‘political
crisis’ means,” Kocharyan said.
The President further elaborated the achievements of his first year of his
second term.
“They are unprecedented indexes in our modern history, after declaration of
independence, they are the best accounting among CIS countries,” he said.
A day after the President addressed students, oppositional party leader
Geghamyan met with the same students and countered Kocharyan’s claims.
Armenia is 217 th out of 220 countries in percentage of malnourished,
Geghamyan claimed, and:
“Tens, hundreds of organizations and services sectors don’t pay taxes to the
state budget. Forty to 60 percent of the economy is ‘shadow’. The reason the
President didn’t mention it is because the people in power are the owners of
the shadow economy.”
Ten days ago date, Kocharyan fired his Prosecutor General and replaced him.
He has also held meetings with heads of police – both measures seen by some
as the president preparing for a showdown.
Kocharyan told reporters he would continue measures to increase internal
stability.
“We strengthen these bodies and we strengthen them in all directions,” said
Kocharyan. “The psychology of a bum in the poitical field is dangerous for
the country.”
Next Tuesday, the Justice Bloc is expected to make an announcement calling
on citizens to rally for a change of power.
—