WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR A JAVAKHETI ARMENIAN IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR AN APARANI ARMENIAN

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 29 2006

The Hzor Hayrenik Party is ready to run for parliament in 2007 both
alone and in an alliance. The chair of the council of the party Shirak
Torosyan said they conducted a survey and found out that their rating
has not dropped since the election in 2003. In 2003 Shirak Torosyan’s
party led by Vardan Vardapetyan, the former deputy mayor of Yerevan,
officially got a little more than 3 percent. In reality, we got more
than 5 percent, assures Shirak Torosyan and adds that if the election
in 2007 is fair, they will get more than 5 percent.

It is also possible that the Hzor Hayrenik Party will run for
parliament in an alliance. There is no clear answer to this question
yet, but they have consultations with the parliamentary forces
and the forces which could not enter the parliament. However, one
ally of Hzor Hayrenik is already known. It is the Javakheti Union
of Compatriots. Shirak Torosyan is the chair of this union, and he
is not hiding that they are engaged in politics. Shirak Torosyan
dislikes that these unions tend to enter politics. Perhaps he wants
only his union to be in politics. He even has an explanation.

"Javakheti is entirely politics, and it is already a political
problem. When you feel, when you see that the political forces or the
government do not deal with the problem adequately, it becomes clear
for the people of Javakheti that they must tackle their problem through
certain bodies, certain organizations. In this case, the Javakheti
Union of Compatriots is actively engaged in politics. In this case,
I think, the engagement of the Javakheti Union of Compatriots is
justified because in a number of cases such active engagement is not
favorable for the government," Shirak Torosyan says. He says since
the Javakheti Union is not a political body, it is cooperating with
political forces, namely the Hzor Hayrenik Party.

Hzor Hayrenik is referred to as a party of the Armenians of Javakheti,
and it is at least strange that they have the right to do politics,
whereas Aparanis do not.

"We are not solving the problem of the Armenians of Javakheti but the
problem of Javakheti as a geopolitical factor. Javakheti is within
the administrative borders of Georgia, it is inhabited by Armenians,
and is in the focus of the Armenian and Georgian relation. You know
that Georgia is Armenia’s only way of communication with the outer
world. The Georgian policy on Armenia is known to everyone, let us
not try to hide it. In other words, if it can suffocate us, it does.

Evidence to this is the construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki
railroad. Consequently, Javakheti is our trump card in our relation
with Georgia," Shirak Torosyan says.

Presently, it is calm and stable in Javakheti and the tensions have
been mitigated after the local election, Shirak Torosyan says. He
does not know what will happen later. He says time will show.

Meanwhile, the Russian Time and other media often manipulate
the problem of Javakheti in reporting on the Russian and Georgian
relations. Shirak Torosyan says there is danger that the question will
be manipulated not only in Russia but generally. However, this danger
can be rendered harmless, Shirak Torosyan thinks, if the population
in Javakheti is organized correctly.