MILITANT INTELLECTUALS DECLARE ‘WAR’ ON GOVERNMENT
Irina Hovannisian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 30 2006

More than a hundred intellectuals sympathetic to the Armenian
opposition called on Friday for a popular uprising against the
government which they claimed is "illegitimate" and infested with
"criminal elements."

A joint statement adopted by them at a conference urged Armenians
to "declare war on this regime and return power seized by criminal
traitors to the people." They accused the authorities of planning to
rig next year’s parliamentary election.

The militant activists also said their anti-government group
called Intellectual Forum is joining the "anti-criminal movement"
launched by 15 opposition parties the previous night. In a joint
declaration, the parties expressed concern at what they see as a
growing "criminalization" of the government and the political scene.

Intellectual Forum leaders had earlier pledged to name those government
officials who they believe have underworld connections.

However, their angry statement mentioned only President Robert
Kocharian and Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

"These two men have effectively usurped power," a leader of the group,
Rafael Ghazarian, told RFE/RL. "They have not been legitimate since
[the presidential election of] 2003."

Asked to name the alleged "criminal elements," Ghazarian singled
out Minister for Local Government Hovik Abrahamian, Transport and
Communications Minister Andranik Manukian and even Prosecutor-General
Aghvan Hovsepian. "He is simply a criminal element," he said of
Abrahamian. "He has no right to hold any state post."

The latest opposition accusations have already been dismissed by the
Armenian authorities and their supporters. In a joint statement last
week, a group of other prominent intellectuals mostly supportive of
the Armenian leadership described the verbal attacks as an "attempt
to undermine our statehood." They alleged that Intellectual Forum
is being manipulated by unspecified opposition leaders collaborating
with foreign intelligence services.