DASHNAKTSUTYUN IS OUR OLD FRIEND
Haik Aramyan

Lragir, Armenia
July 25 2007

117 years is a respectable age. Even in Karabakh. The people of
Karabakh are believed to live long. They say the Japanese scientists
have found out that if the people of Karabakh drink less mulberry
vodka, they will live longer. Maybe some time in the future the people
of Karabakh will start drinking less of this crude drink, and they
will live longer. For the time being, 117 years is longevity even
for the people of Karabakh.

It is notable that in its 117th year the ARF Dashnaktsutyun turned
the last page of its political history in Karabakh, where unlike
the Armenian and Diasporan organizations the local organization
used to be an important and active organization at one time. The
Karabakh organization of Dashnaktsutyun conducted a policy that was
in the interests of the nation and people all through the Karabakh
movement, the war and post-war developments. The first government of
Karabakh proved that this kind of policy is also possible. When the
first government in Karabakh was demolished, and the local Dashnaks
were persecuted, unlike Armenia where the Dashnaks also underwent
persecution and were sent to prison, the Karabakh organization of the
ARF Dashnaktsutyun not only bore hardship with dignity but also upheld
the honor of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun generally although it suffered
more from the shortsighted policy of their party fellows in Armenia
and the Diaspora.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun of Karabakh had an important role in demolishing
the regime of warlords in Karabakh and ensured investments in the
ruined economy of Karabakh. In the Karabakh parliament of 2000-2005
Dashnaktsutyun was rather active, providing oversight of the
activities of the government. However, the state of things changed
in the course of time. The ARF Dashnaktsutyun adopted a policy of
permanent deals with the government and started "attending" seriously
to the organization of Karabakh. The Dashnaks of Karabakh had already
started disturbing their fellows in Armenia, especially when the
Karabakh organization sued the ARF Bureau (Dashnaktsutyun has an
"internal" court), accusing it of activities that do not stem from
the interests of the country. The ARF leaders, particularly Hrant
Margaryan, making another deal with NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan,
arranged a shakeup inside the organization of Karabakh, removed the
former leaders and replaced them by people who are unable to make
independent moves and implement a policy.

It happened before the NKR presidential election. And with the new
leadership of the Karabakh organization of the ARF, without having
the consent of the party ranks, declined to put up its own candidate
and became engaged in the "common candidate" project. Another
representative of the ARF Bureau, the deputy leader of the National
Assembly of Armenia, said in explaining this move of his fellows that
it is not expedient to counteract to the steps of the government
because it causes shocks. For instance, he recalled the period of
Arthur Mkrtichyan and Georgy Petrosyan when the conflict between
Levon Ter-Petrosyan – All Armenian Movement and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
led to grave consequences for both Armenia and Karabakh. Of course,
Vahan Hovanisyan’s explanation would arouse a smile in people who are
aware of the state of things then if it were not so depressing. It
is worthwhile to touch upon this issue.

The explanation of the party’s stance by Kiro Manoyan, another ARF
Bureau member, was much more abject. He explained their choice in
answering the questions of reporters about the "common candidate"
that it is not important who the "common candidate" is and whether
he is able to conduct an effective foreign policy. It is important
that the foreign minister is a Dashnak, and he will solve all the
problems. In other words, Kiro Manoyan revealed another deal: hence,
the Dashnaktsutyun leadership of Armenia and the Diaspora once again
staked, we may say destroyed the Karabakh organization of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun.

Anyway, the 117-year-old party made its "choice" and actually turned
the last page of its own political history as an independent political
organization. And perhaps that was the good thing. At least, the people
of Armenia and Karabakh did not suffer heavy losses. Just another party
left the real political arena, which was not theirs anymore; what do
the interests of "small shopkeepers" have to do with the aspirations
of people, as a political scientist put it. All the rest that this
party will do will be like a snowball rolling down the mountain side,
the weight of which makes it move faster and faster towards fall,
and it crushes at first blow.

Meanwhile, people are wise enough to avoid this blow.