Is Dashnaktsutyun Running For Money?

IS DASHNAKTSUTYUN RUNNING FOR MONEY?

Lragir, Armenia
Aug 2 2007

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun is the political force which has never been able
to prevent or overcome any major threat to people, says the leader of
the National Self-Determination Union Paruir Hairikyan in answering
the question about the participation of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun in
the upcoming presidential election in a news conference on August 2
at the Friday Club. "Death or freedom is written on their flag but
I do not know any Dashnak who died saying death of freedom. I know
Dashnaks led by Dro signed the treaty on the annexation of Armenia
by the Bolshevist empire, afterwards all the Armenian officers were
slaughtered, and Dro left abroad," Paruir Hairikyan says. He says he
did not mention this accidentally. In other words, Hairikyan mentioned
this with regard to the present stance of the ARF, which is summed
up in the Dashnak formula of neither government nor opposition the
leaders of this party announce.

"Everyone knows now that Dashnaktsutyun is part of the government. It
is not quite clear to me, I put it very mildly, to be part of the
government and say you are an alternative to this government, in fact
you are opposition, I cannot understand this. I put it mildly because
what I just said death or free Armenia and escape, it is already …

Simon Vratsyan writes about Dashnaktsutyun in his book: "In 1918 we
the Dashnaks had already realized that our party is a failure and
we do not have the right to work with the Armenian nation, but since
there was no other organization, and Armenia was gaining independence,
we got hold of the situation." It was a political force which denied
God, and with innumerable devotees, honorable devotees, it made a
strategic mistake for it acted upon the demonic principle that the
goal justifies the means. The goal justifies the aim: this shows if
you are good or evil," Paruir Hairikyan says.

He says for the ARF Dashnaktsutyun running in the presidential election
might be just an opportunity to raise money in the Diaspora.