Armenian Debacle

EDITORIAL

The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.)
October 1, 1996
Start Page: A.18

Armenia gets more U.S. aid per capita than any other country but Israel.
It earned this distinction not only through the fervent interest of so
many Armenian Americans but also by portraying itself — and for a time
living up to the image of being — a true democracy in the post-Soviet
world. Sadly, reality has moved far from that image, as incumbent
president Levon Ter-Petrossian has claimed reelection after a vote
marred by fraud and has arrested or sent into exile or underground much
of his political opposition. Almost as sadly, the U.S. government has
reserved its strongest condemnation thus far for the opposition, even as
Armenia slides toward authoritarian rule.

Armenia embarked on its post-Soviet independence with great and
legitimate hopes five years ago. Unlike so many other republics in the
region where former Communist bosses simply repainted themselves as
democrats, it chose as its leader a scholar and former dissident in Mr.
Ter-Petrossian. But more than a year ago, the president started down the
slope toward rule by Diktat, banning a major opposition party and
gagging much of the press. Parliamentary elections last year were widely
condemned for violations of fairness.

In the just-completed presidential election, Mr. Ter-Petrossian enjoyed
1,050 minutes of coverage on state television, compared with 65 minutes
for his leading opponent — a former prime minister and onetime ally
named Vazgen Manoukian. According to international observers, the vote
itself was marred by "significant and serious breaches in the law." The
observers’ preliminary report suggested that such breaches were not
enough to sway the election, but now that Mr. Ter-Petrossian has claimed
just shy of 52 percent of the vote — he needed 50 percent to avoid a
runoff — the legitimacy of his victory is in strong doubt.

Opposition rallies in the capital of Yerevan were huge and largely
peaceful, but fighting broke out on one occasion when the election
commission refused to order a recount. Now the incumbent has sent troops
and tanks into the capital, imposing a virtual state of emergency.
Opposition deputies have been beaten and kicked out of parliament.
Troops have stormed into opposition party headquarters and shut them down.

In the face of this, the State Department has mustered nothing more than
to say it is following events "with great interest" while finding
"regrettable and unfortunate" the opposition violence. What is truly
regrettable is not just this mealy-mouthed American response but the
sight of a small nation with a sad but courageous history watching its
chance at self-rule being stolen.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress