RETIRED GENERAL COMMITS HIS FUTURE TO DASHNAKTSUTYUN
By Karine Kalantarian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
March 13 2007
Former Deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekian on Tuesday committed
his political future to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), saying that he will not leave the governing party
even if it joins the opposition.
Aghabekian, who has the rank of lieutenant-general ,was relieved of
his duties and discharged from the armed forces last month in order
to be able to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections
on the Dashnaktsutyun ticket. His name is 10th on the list of the
nationalist party’s election candidates.
Aghabekian has long maintained close ties with Dashnaktsutyun despite
his reputation as a figure close to Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian,
whose rapport with the party has often been frosty. The two men
are natives of Nagorno-Karabakh and played a major role during its
1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.
In an interview with RFE/RL, Aghabekian insisted that he will
remain loyal to the Dashnaks even if they move into opposition to
Armenia’s current leadership after the May 12 elections. "I can see
Dashnaktsutyun in both opposition and in government," he said. "I have
no problem with that. I didn’t even set myself the goal of becoming
a parliament deputy."
Dashnaktsutyun leaders have warned that they will join the opposition
camp if the vote falls short of democratic standards or if their party
fails to make a strong showing. They have also indicated that they will
not endorse Sarkisian’s candidacy in next year’s presidential election.
Aghabekian’s resignation fueled speculation that he might be
offered the post of defense minister in return for a Dashnaktsutyun
endorsement of Sarkisian’s anticipated presidential run. According
to some media reports, the party is also considering fielding the
retired general’s candidacy in the presidential ballot to be held in
Karabakh this summer.
Aghabekian pointedly declined to refute those rumors. "If
Dashnaktsutyun sets the aim of having a defense minister, soldier
Aghabekian will perform that duty with pleasure," he said. "If
Dashnaktsutyun decides that I have nothing to do in Armenia and must
again go back to Karabakh, then I can work as a [Karabakh] village
mayor or president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic."