Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Dec 4 2007

THE PREDECESSORS’ TEAM REMAINS UNALTERABLE

The most noteworthy fact that has been recorded during the period
of nominations, which will come to an end on December 6, is how
ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosyan ignored the service of Armenian Pan
National movement and submitted his documents to CEC by
self-nomination.
All the other influential and not very significant candidates have
been nominated by their parties. And this is a natural and regular
phenomenon, because what is a candidate without a team of ideological
supporters.
A question arises here, where is Levon Ter-Petrosyan`s team.
Judging from the `enthusiastic behavior’ of the representatives of
different political parties surrounding him on the demonstration
platform, we can say that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is trying to separate
from his former team-members and meanwhile form a new political team.
But it is evident to a careful observer that Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
`demonstration activity’ is mostly aimed not at expressing political
attitudes but forming part of the common `show’. And in general how
can we speak about new political attitudes in the presence of Aram
Sargsyan and Stepan Demirchyan, who used to say the same before
Ter-Petrosyan’s return and now.
Thus the presence of this group of `supporters’ is simply outward
gauze, through which these people are trying to create an illusion of
a `new team’, whereas during the demonstrations it is only Levon
Ter-Petrosyan that delivers speeches of political contents.
In parallel with the demonstration shows, the press belonging to
Armenian Pan National Movement, which usually substantiates Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s political affectations, becomes overflowed with the
advocacy realized by a quite different framework of political
figures. Unlike Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s `platform-partners’ these
people come out with analyses, TV-speeches, articles and interview of
political nature that is to say, in the strictest sense of the word
they stage a political campaign in Levon Ter- Petrosyan’s support.
It is this very framework that substantiates, through press and
TV, the issues advanced by Levon Ter-Petrosyan during his
demonstrations. That is to say they realize the function of not a `
palace clown’ but a political team. Particularly:
a) Alik Arzumanyan, Vahan Papazyan, Arman Navasardyan are engaged
in substantiating Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s attitudes regarding the
foreign policy issues.
b) Hrant Bagratyan shoulders the responsibility of `coordinating’
the tough work of responding to questions about the `cold and dark’
years and `substantiating’ the `economic block’ of the ex-President’s
campaign by press and TV.
c) Vahan Shirkhanyan and Gurgen Yeghiazaryan have been confirmed
in Ter-Petrosyan’s `force block’.
d) And finally ex-provincial official Hovhannes Hovhannisyan is in
charge for accusing the opponents of the ex-President for
`provincialism’.
We can of course increase the list with the names of new
`outstanding predecessors’ that have returned to the political
domain, but in our view the before mentioned list will be enough for
you to conclude that Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s team hasn’t changed.
There is only one name that is not yet included in the list of the
predecessors – Vano Siradeghyan, who is applauded `in absentia’, for
the present.

ARMEN TSATURYAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress