REFERENDUM IN ARMENIA AS WELL
Lragir.am
14:13:21 – 09/12/2008
The head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun office of political affairs Kiro
Manoyan stated December 9 at the Pastark press club that a referendum
on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be held not only
in Karabakh but also in Armenia at the same time because the issue
of the liberated territories is a matter of security of not only
Karabakh but also Armenia.
Kiro Manoyan noted, however, that the package resolution rather than
a separate issue should be put to a referendum.
Kiro Manoyan also said that Azerbaijan should also make amendments to
its constitution because obviously no matter how the Karabakh issue
is solved, at least the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region
and Lachin cannot be part of Azerbaijan. Of course, Kiro Manoyan
also said that this is not enough for the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. Kiro
Manoyan presented the stance of the party on the resolution. If
earlier the ARF Dashnaktsutyun used to say not a patch of land, now
they diplomatize. Kiro Manoyan says the issue should be settled in
talks, and they think that compromise should be equal and simultaneous.
According to Kiro Manoyan, it is impossible to cede territories
in return for opening a railway, for instance, because tomorrow
they may close the railway but we will not be able to return the
territory. Besides, presenting the opinion of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
Kiro Manoyan stated that in the beginning of the settlement the
status of Karabakh should be set down, the issue of the Armenian
refugees from Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan territories controlled
by Azerbaijan should be brought up.
Most importantly, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun member thinks the talks
cannot be effective, and since these issues are not negotiated
now, Kiro Manoyan says the ARF Dashnaktsutyun has "worry, concern,
dissatisfaction".