TASHNAG REJECTS HARIRI’S OFFER, FUTURE MOVEMENT LEADER REACTS

NaharNet
April 1 2009
Lebanon

The Armenian Tashnag party announced officially on Wednesday that
it has refused MP Saad Hariri’s offer of four parliamentary seats
in return for voting for March 14 alliance’s full list of names in
Beirut 1, the Metn and Zahle districts.

"After studying this offer … and during our second meeting with
MP Hariri (last night), we informed him about the (executive)
committee’s decision to form an Armenian MPs bloc that will include
five legislators" whose names were announced on Sunday, the party
said in a statement.

The five candidates are: Arthur Nazarian, George Qassarji, Hagop
Pakradounian, Vrej Saboungian and Krikor Kaloust.

"The bloc will have free political decision-making and will play a
nationalistic legislative role," according to the statement.

It said the party will have the freedom to vote in Beirut 1, the
Metn and Zahle based on its own convictions, to which Hariri did not
react favorably.

The statement reiterated that Tashnag will be allied with Gen. Michel
Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement in all districts and Minister Elie
Skaff in Zahle, adding that the party will continue to reach out to
all sides before and after the June 7 elections.

Later, Hariri’s press office stated "for the record that Tashnag has
reneged on the position it officially relayed to us during yesterday’s
meeting.

The statement said Tashnag promised during the talks with Hariri to
"completely commit to political neutrality between March 8 and March
14 forces following the legislative elections."

"We were surprised that Tashnag announced, through a media release,
its stance on the dialogue taking place between us, Michel Murr and
(the Armenian party)," it said.

The statement explained that the three sides had agreed "during the
last two meetings to keep political deliberations amongst them."

It said Tashnag appeared to suggest it is being offered "a number
of seats for its candidatesin return for its supporters to vote for
March 14 nominees across Lebanon."

However, "what we are really proposing is to try to secure the votes
of March 14 supporters for Tashnag candidates in return for the
ballots of the (the Armenian party’s) supporters in favor of March
14 contenders in the same districts."