DASHNAK LEADER HITS BACK AT TER-PETROSIAN TIRADE
By Karine Kalantarian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Sept 24 2007

A top leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
on Monday dismissed former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s harsh
criticism of Armenia’s present leadership, saying that many of the
problems facing the country date back to his rule.

In a Friday speech that marked the end of his nearly decade-long
silence, Ter-Petrosian branded the Armenian government "corrupt and
criminal" and called for its ouster. He accused the administration
of President Robert Kocharian of rigging elections, breaking laws,
illegally influencing courts and restricting press freedom.

Reacting to the speech, Vahan Hovannisian, a Dashnaktsutyun leader and
deputy parliament speaker, said Ter-Petrosian has no moral right to
make such accusations because his eight-year rule was also marked
by fraudulent elections, human rights abuses and other serious
shortcomings.

"He spoke as if the population has already forgotten Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s days in power — political repressions, the severe
economic crisis that must not be linked with the war [with Azerbaijan,]
and the terrible atmosphere that led to a massive emigration,"
Hovannisian told RFE/RL.

"There are definitely vicious phenomena existing in the country now,
and Dashnaktsutyun has always been the first to talk about them
without hysteria characteristic of some opposition circles," he said.

"We are conscious at the same time that the roots of those problems
date back to Levon Ter-Petrosian’s rule."

Dashnaktsutyun, which is a junior partner in the ruling coalition, was
in strong opposition to Ter-Petrosian and his Armenian Pan-National
Movement (HHSh) throughout his presidency, which began in 1991 and
ended in 1998. The nationalist party was controversially banned in
1994 for allegedly violating Armenian law and operating a secret
death squad. The ban also led to the forcible closure of newspapers
controlled by Dashnaktsutyun.

Hovannisian was among senior party figures who were arrested in 1995
and subsequently handed long prison sentences on charges of plotting
a coup d’etat. All of them were set free following Ter-Petrosian’s
1998 resignation engineered by his key ministers, including then
Prime Minister Kocharian and Interior Minister Serzh Sarkisian.

While reaffirming Dashnaktsutyun’s highly negative attitude towards
Ter-Petrosian, Hovannisian said he and his party would welcome the
ex-president’s participation in the forthcoming presidential elections
as it would add "an ideological element" to the race.

"It wouldn’t be bad if he nominated his candidacy because the HHSh and
Dashnaktsutyun poles will be very visible. It would be interesting
to see how others will position themselves in between those poles,"
he said.

Still, Hovannisian predicted Ter-Petrosian will decided not to run
for president, saying that the latter realizes that his chances of
winning the vote are slim. "He is a very self-admiring man and doesn’t
like losing," claimed the vice-speaker.

Ter-Petrosian said on Friday that he has still not decided whether
or not to enter the fray.