Referendum on draft constitution unlikely to destabilize situation i

REFERENDUM ON DRAFT CONSTITUTION UNLIKELY TO DESTABILIZE SITUATION IN
ARMENIA: ANDRANIK MIGRANYAN

ARKA News Agency
Sept 2 2005

MOSCOW, September 2. /ARKA/. A referendum on constitutional amendments
in Armenia will is unlikely to be a factor of destabilization of the
situation in the country or a prerequisite for a colored revolution,
the well-known Russian political scientist, Professor of Moscow State
Institute of International Relations, RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Andranik Migranyan told ARKA. “Colored revolutions were as a rule
carried out when the authorities were believed to have committed
mass election rigging. A referendum is not elections,” Migranyan
said. According to him, if a referendum on confidence in the President
had been held, “it could have been a real prerequisite.” “I think that
the draft constitution is not a sufficient occasion for stimulating
such far-reaching consequences as a change of regime,” Migranyan
said. According to him, the opposition will find it difficult to take
advantage of this occasion. “I believe that the opposition will try to
mobilize its supporters, though we know that the Armenian opposition
has been failing to do so, except for 1996,” he said. According to him,
the problem is whether the opposition will succeed in polarization
on any issue, whereas the authorities’ task is that no reasons for
polarization exist. Migranyan said that it is the origin of the
tactics of the authorities and the opposition. According to him, the
authorities will try to distance themselves from the referendum by
stating that they have nothing in common with it, but it is Europe’s
requirement, “no matter how we vote, it has nothing to do with the
President or the incumbent authorities.” “And the opposition will be
trying to involve the authorities in discussions and conflicts over
certain issues to create a basis for further struggle in the next
presidential and parliamentary elections,” Migranyan said. P.T. -0–