DASHNAKS PLAN MORE PROTESTS AGAINST TURKISH-ARMENIAN DEAL ARMENIA — VAHAN HOVANNISIAN, A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION, HOLDS A NEWS CONFERENCE ON
Ruzanna Stepanian

rticle/1903739.html
December 14, 2009.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) will launch
early next month a new campaign of street protests aimed at scuttling
the implementation of the recently signed Turkish-Armenian agreements,
a leader of the opposition party said on Monday.

Vahan Hovannisian said the campaign will get underway ahead of the
January 12 start of Constitutional Court hearings on the agreements’
conformity with Armenia’s constitution. "Our public will voice its
views, its indignation during those days," he told a news conference.

"We have received many applications and proposals to hold serious
actions of protest on the eve of the announcement of the Constitutional
Court decision," he said. "Naturally, we were going to do that
regardless of anyone and anything. But now, seeing that a popular
wave is again rising, we can state for certain that there will be no
calm in Armenia during those days."

Dashnaktsutyun, which was part of President Serzh Sarkisian’s governing
coalition until April, already held a series of demonstrations
in Yerevan this fall in protest against the Turkish-Armenian
protocols which it considers a sellout. The nationalist party is
particularly unhappy with Yerevan’s formal recognition of the existing
Turkish-Armenian border and its acceptance of a Turkish proposal to
set up a joint commission of historians.

Hovannisian reiterated Dashnaktsutyun’s view that the protocols
do not envisage an unconditional normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations despite statements to the contrary made by the Sarkisian
administration. He also said most Armenians are firmly against
the deal.

Hovannisian could not say whether Dashnaktsutyun will be demanding
Sarkisian’s resignation at the upcoming protests. Dashnaktsutyun
leaders have said previously that they will campaign for leadership
change in Armenia only if the controversial protocols are ratified
by the Armenian parliament and come into effect.