DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S SARGSYAN
Arman Gharibyan

n-4/
2009/09/30 | 13:07

Aram Sargsyan, First President of the so-called International Armenian
Congress and leader odf Armenia’s Democratic Party, declared that
the Armenian-Turkish protocols are unacceptable as presently worded.

Tomorrow, Mr. Sargsyan will present a list of proposed modifications
at the parliaments schedules hearings on the protocols. One will deal
with the mutual obligations of both Armenia and Turkey. "Armenia has
never had any obligation regarding Turkey. Turkey, via these protocols,
wishes for Armenia to recognize the Treaty of Kars. But that was signed
by five countries and thus isn’t a bilateral obligation of Armenia."

The Democratic Party will also demand that the protocols be examined
by an international legal organization for applicability.

Aram Sargsyan said that there is no need for an impartial
examination of historical issues and that this simply means losing
the international results of the Genocide recognition activities to
date. He stated the view that Turkey wishes to unite with its brotherly
countries in the region and that Armenia stands in the way of that aim.

"If International Armenian Congress President Ara Abrahamyan were here
now, he would be stating more or less the same things. Our positions
are the same on this. Mr. Abrahamyan has said that he would express
his views on the matter when President Sargsyan meets with Armenian
leaders from the CIS countries in October.

Aram Sargsyan stated that never before has the diaspora taken such
an active interest in the policy affairs of Armenia. "These are
pan-national issues. If the diaspora and Armenia split on this issue
I cannot imagine a bigger blow to Armenia."

Mr. Sargsyan stated that he believed it was possible to debate the
legality of the protocols within the RoA Constitutional Court. "I
am convinced that the protocols will wind up in the Constitutional
Court where the issue of their constitutionality will be reviewed."

He stated that the discussions now being held in various regional
centres of Armenia is a foregone conclusion since most officials
are dependent on the central government and thus must express their
support of recent foreign policy moves.

"There are enough political forces in Armenia and in the diaspora
that can join together and see to it that these protocols are never
ratified," he concluded.