WHAT WILL THEY WHISPER IN DASHNAKTSUTYUN’S EAR AT THIS HAVEN?
GEVORG SARGSYAN

Lragir
14:25:32 – 21/02/2008

`We state with responsibility that the only way out of this situation
is to rule out possible breaches of the election code and election
fraud and to hold a genuine free, fair and transparent election.’ This
is a passage from the statement of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Body
on February 13. Besides, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun candidate and the
others in charge have stated at various occasions they will not allow
election fraud and will fight all the way through.

However, the election is past, while the ARF Dashnaktsutyun would not
pronounce whether the election was free and fair, there was election
fraud or there was no election fraud. Of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun leaders
only Hrant Margaryan has stated that they have lost the election, they
are studying the situation and will make a statement on one of these
days. Defeat is a defeat, it is a relative notion, whereas the stance
of the national party and its assessment of the election interests many
people on these days. After all, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun does not belong
only to the ARF Dashnaktsutyun members, it is a national value, as the
members of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun righteously mention. So the nation is
eager to know the opinion of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun on this election.

The behavior of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun leaders on the eve of the
presidential election reassured that in the end after lasting ambiguous
collaboration with the present government and the disgraceful policy in
Karabakh over the past few years the party has decided to act
independently. On the one hand, conformism does not suit the image this
party, on the other hand, the central role of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun in
the home political life in Armenia is acknowledged. Despite doubts that
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun is playing the game of the government, the
society was eager to disbelieve this. For its part, the government was
worried about the behavior of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, which could have
a crucial role in bringing into being or thwarting the government plot
of reproduction.

On the day of vote, in the morning Serge Sargsyan stated after voting
that if he is elected, he will see no need for changing the staff of
the government, because this government is efficient. And as an
instance of collaboration with other forces he mentioned the example of
the Bargavach Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party and the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun. Bargavach Hayastan itself perhaps is not collaboration.
The problem is the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

What will they whisper in Dashnaktsutyun’s ear this time or at this
haven? Perhaps it no longer makes a difference to the society because
it is fed up with justifications for the sake of stability, continuity,
or whatever. What makes a difference to the society is what if they
whisper in its ear the following: it is not worthwhile traveling with
old friends. This would be the real defeat of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.