"Armenia's Lost Spring"

RealPolitik corners Samvel Nikoyan

Samvel Nikolyan is the vice president of the National Assembly, and was the Chairman of the parliamentary ad-hoc committee on the March 1-2 events- the committee that so conveniently stalled and eventually dissolved completely, producing no results and no answers. For a man who was chairing the committee, I don't remember him putting up any fuss when the committee dissolved, and that's putting it lightly.

Recently he went onto 1in.am's RealPolitik show. Arman Babajanyan does an incredible job of asking the most simple-seeming but critical questions, in an open, calm and unassuming way, and he is quite persistent.... And Samvel Nikoyan talks himself into a corner, again and again.



ADDENDUM: Here is the article about and video of the related RealPolitik with Andranik Kocharyan

Նիկոլ Փաշինյանին Աֆրիկայից թուղթ ու գրիչ են ուղարկել

Direct from Epress:

Նիկոլ Փաշինյանին Աֆրիկայից թուղթ ու գրիչ են ուղարկել

Հայաստանյան լրատվամիջոցների ակցիան` հերթափոխով հարցեր ուղղել «Արթիկ» ՔԿՀ-ում պահվող «Հայկական ժամանակ» թերթի գլխավոր խմբագիր, քաղբանտարկյալ Նիկոլ Փաշինյանին ու հետամուտ լինել նրանից պատասխաններ ստանալուն, այդպիսով` փորձ անելով վերացնել Փաշինյանի նամակագրության խոչընդոտները, հեռուն է գնացել, գրում է «Չորրորդ ինքնիշխանություն» օրաթերթը:

«Երեկ «ՉԻ» օրաթերթը էլեկտրոնային նամակ է ստացել Աֆրիկայից, որի հեղինակը գրում է. «Ձեր լրագրողների` Նիկոլին հերթով նամակ գրելու ակցիայի շրջանակներում Աֆրիկայից Նիկոլին թուղթ ու գրիչ եմ ուղարկել: Կից ձեզ եմ ուղարկում DHL-ի ստացականն ու ծանրոցի ուղարկման փաստաթուղթը: Դրանով նույնիսկ օնլայն կարող եք հետևել, թե ծանրոցը ուր է հասել: Խնդրում եմ ուշադրության տակ պահեք` արդյո՞ք այն հասցնում եմ Նիկոլին , թե՞ ոչ: Երեկ եմ ուղարկել, հավանաբար վաղը (այսինք այսօր – «ՉԻ») այդտեղ պետք է լինի: Դե հասկանում եք, որ սա սիմվոլիկ բան է`թուղթ ու գրիչ Աֆրիկայից: Դե լավ եղեք, շուտով կհանդիպենք»»:

Brilliant.

Mikael Harutyunyan's (former MoD) memories of March 1, 2008

So much to write, I haven't known where to start. But then I heard about these videos.

The former Minister of Defense under Kochartyan, Mikael Harutyunyan, is asked some questions about March 1.

Update: listen to the story here from Azatutyun, including direct questions to Harutyunyan and HAK member Andranik Kocharyan from the March 1 Fact Finding Group




Here is an azatutyun.am article on the subject (Arm). And here's one from 1in.am

Guest Post on Evolving Relationships

Many thanks to ditord for posting my most recent musings as a guest post:

An evolving relationship between Dashnaktsutyn and Zharangutyun

Liberty Square freed, and now, a circus...

This is where we are now.
Instead of celebrating the liberation of Liberty Square, we're watching HHK mock the opposition; its painful and that's an understatement. I kept waiting to write, hoping things would calm down. But they're not calming down. And what we have is a theatre. A joke where HHK is literally sitting back and laughing at the opposition, at Heritage, at HAK, and just laughing at the arguing between them, and literally asking them to unite, just for more kicks and giggles. Whatever the cause of this drama, where reporting and focus on the true criminals of the regime is overshadowed by the obsession about a "snubbing," whatever the cause, it has to stop.

That's the short version.

I've had many thoughts other than that. I don't know if its worth it anymore to write them down, but since they keep swimming around in my head, I may as well.

First, as I noted above, we should be celebrating the re-entry into Liberty Square (and we would be if it weren't for this other drama). It is an ENORMOUS step, a great success, thanks to the hard work of many for so many years. I know some think that Raffi Hovannisyan's hunger strike there paved the way. I dont have all of the information, but I tend to think that this is not the case. A huge success, and a huge thank you, at least on my part, to those who made it happen.

This leads to a question I have had for a while, that I have discussed with numerous friends, and still have - what to do once the opposition is in Liberty Square? What to do, what to do... And after much thought and discussion, what I realized is that I think that there generally are/were two options -

1)Once Liberty Square is occupied, it becomes a stronghold for a revolution. Perhaps violent, perhaps bloody, perhaps fruitful, perhaps not.

2)once Liberty square is occupied, it becomes a symbol of success for slow change. Perhaps too slow for some. Perhaps fruitful, perhaps not. But non-violent.

Some say that nothing positive or no real change has ever come of revolutions - I've seen a lot of that on numerous sites (FB, twitter, news/blogs), especially since the massive upheaval that started with Tunisia. But I think it can be stepping stone. To think that revolution is an end in and of itself is naive, but to think that it can allow a partial tabula rasa (if you can have such a thing) from which to rethink, redesign, re-form and reform, is probably true. And while the change-over is fast, when (and if) the actual desired end-product, the desired type of government and society, is actually achieved, could be a long time off. In the meantime, there is usually a lot of violence and bloodshed.

Slow change is just that, slow, possibly painstakingly slow. Perhaps requiring political pressure, negotiations, and a number of small shifts rather than a big jump. There is no guarantee as to the end point, if it will happen, or how long it will take.

It seems to me that, despite the misrepresentations of some journals (including a recent article by the Washington Post) and some political parties, such as the ARF, LTP and HAK want the latter. Nonviolent, a velvet, soft, revolution, and if necessary, slow, as it were. In fact, if LTP wanted violence and revolution, he could have had it in 2008, and many times since. But such political behavior is not his modus operandi, he does not want to be the leader of a violent revolution. But where does that leave him, and HAK, and so much of the opposition?

Well, it seems to have gotten them this far: many (but far from all) of the political prisoners are out, Liberty Square is free. Yes, its been 3 years, but it has been bloodless, and now fruitful.

As to the Raffi Hovannisyan/Zharangutyun - LTP/HAK issue:
I have my opinions, obviously. Suffice it to say, for now, that justified or not, its sad that once again the opposition cannot cooperate. Justified or not. Any further ramblings of mine at this time add only to the ongoing circus.

And in the meantime, Pashinyan still can't get letters out. Here is a press conference given by his lawyer:

There are a number of articles in English and Armenian on numerous sites, including epress, for those interesting in more details.

The next demonstration is on April 8th. I'm sure the news media will be covering. Follow on twitter or facebook if you're so inclined.

Addendum: While I'm not going to delve into my thoughts on the RH-LTP issue for now, I can't help but add that titles such as the one given by ArmeniaNow to an article about the ongoing circus, are not only in poor taste, misrepresentations (potentially intentional), and false, but just downright poor journalism. If i tell a friend that slow and steady wins a race, referring to the Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare, it doesn't mean I'm telling him he should grow a shell and turn green, and predicting that he will outrun a furry rabbit. Be biased, but stick to a representation somewhere in this galaxy, please.

17 March Livebroadcasting and news...

Watch live broadcasting from liberty square by Azatutyun TV

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/2341113.html

and livestreaming from Matenadran by 1in.am

http://www.1in.am/arm/armenia_politics_13234.html


Other good sources:
Twitter Live feed from news sources and individuals, as well as pics
You can also follow on Facebook, including on the group Revolution for Change at http://on.fb.me/dMGXLy

Not to mention the usual news soures linked on the right:
epress, 1in.am, a1plus, lragir, tert, etc...

1 day left...

HAK leaflet for 17 March 2011 Meeting

Could Raffi Hovannisyan's hunger strike be a well-time spark ahead of the meeting?
Perhaps, I'm still thinking through it...

Video and Numbers: March 1, 2011

Thanks to Aramazd for putting together this video of the March 1, 2011 demonstration.

This video actually reawakened my every-lurking interest in how many people were actually at the demonstration. One of the first reports I saw was "over 10,000" from Ditord, I think. The police figured was obviously below that. LTP at the demonstration reported 50,000. Since then there have been numerous other reports, including Reuters which echoed the over 10k figure. I heard 35k from one friend. Another friend noted that he didn't think 50k was quite right, until he saw the endless stream of people descending from the Matenadaran.

I got an even more useful tidbit from another friend, who said that she had a friend call her when people got to the Myasnikyan statue, and at that time, she was at the tail end of the march, at Opera. So once again I turned to the calculations of Herbert Jacobs for crowd counting, according to whom, in a medium packed crowd, one person takes up 4.5 square feet, which is .41806368 sq meters.

Now, let me stop here and point out that there are a lot of assumptions in the calculations I'm about to make. In some places in the march, people are very tightly packed, in some places loosely, so I went with the middle number

Also, from looking at the videos and pictures, I'm assuming a wideth of march of 10-20 people, let's say on average its a march of 15 people wide.

And, according to google maps, the furthest edge of Opera (furthest from Matenadaran) to just near the Myasnikyan Statue, is 1.6 km - here is where I got that calculation from:
But with those assumptions in mind, we get the following calculations - I'll assume a 15 person wide march, and put the calculations for 10 and 20 person wide marches in parentheses, using average density of humans per sq feet for the calculation:

0.418063 meter sq = 0.6465784m on each side of the theoretical square

0.6465784m x 1.6 m = 9.698676m wide march
(for 10 people: 6.4657, 20pp: 12.9315688)

9.698676m wide x 1.6 km long (which is 1600m) = 15,517.8816 meters sq
(10pp: 10,345 msq, for 20 pp: 20,690 msq)

15,517.8816 msq / .41806368 msq per person = 37,118.52 people in the march
(10pp: 24,745 people, 20pp: 49,490 people)

I would love to know if there is an error in my calculations, assumptions, or data that I've been given. This is the best, most objective way I know of to try to calculate numbers, aside from actual aerial photos.

And for those of you out there who can get data like that above (length, width of march) or aerial photos, please, the more data the better!

Bazaz. No Comment.

I had another post in mind, but then I saw this on facebook, a photoedit by German Avakyan. I couldn't resist.



[more from him at hermanavakian.com]

ARF just hasn't had the chance...

Really? Really? And people still wonder why the ARF is not taken seriously as an independent political force in Armenia, much less as an opposition force:

Ընդդիմադիր Հայ հեղափոխական դաշնակցություն խմբակցության ղեկավար Վահան Հովհաննիսյանը ասաց, թե չի ծանոթացել ՀԱԿ-ի պահանջներին, սակայն նրան հետաքրքրել է կոալիցիայի պատասխանը: [link, quote from Vahan Hovhannisyan]

The ARF tried to stand in allegiance with their Heritage colleagues on this one, and tried to criticize the behavior of the police. But they couldn't bring themselves to comment on the 15 points. Tell me you don't like the 15 points, tell me you disagree with the approach, the points, the strategy, that you think it is futile, totally wrong, anything, something, but don't tell me, that as a self-proclaimed opposition party, you haven't "familiarized" yourself with them yet.

The March 1, 2011 demonstration was among the largest in the past 2-3 years. The main outcome was the presentation of 15 points of contention (to put it mildly) by the opposition to the regime, which must be acted upon within 2 weeks, per the opposition. And as an opposition power, the ARF has not had the opportunity? time? chance? to "familiarize" themselves with these points? Or perhaps there is another reason that Mr. Hovhannisyan declined to comment on the 15 points...

Perhaps the ARF just needs another glass of champagne...

The Many Hats of Bazaz

I got very excited the other day when someone incorrectly informed me that among the demands presented at the March 1 demonstration was the resignation of Yerevan's Deputy Chief of Police Robert Melkonyan, also known as Bazaz. Suffice it to say that I found this extraordinary news, and was sad to confirm it wasn't true.

Here he is, the first time I've ever seen him actually have a discussion, defending the actions of the police at the most recent altercations with some of the Heritage Party MPs. I gotta say, he surprised me in this video. With all the pacing and yelling and pushing and screaming he does at what are often otherwise peaceful gatherings, and all the pacing back and forth that he does, he sure does do a good job of playing the other side with his calm, patient, even-toned and polite rationalizations and explanations.



I guess he wears many hats, both literally and figuratively. In fact, I almost didn't recognize him in the video above without a hat.
















Oh Bazaz, I hope you and your police department, but especially you, get the recognition you have earned so well, and deserve.

15 Demands

[from epress.am]
03.01.2011 23:08 epress.am

Levon Ter-Petrossian’s 15 Demands Approved by March 1 Demonstrators

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) rally today on the third anniversary of the events of Mar. 1, 2008, when mass protests were violently dispersed by law enforcement officials following disputed presidential elections that left 10 people dead and many more injured, has come to an end. The last person to speak before demonstrators marched down the streets of the Armenian capital was first president of the Republic of Armenia and HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrossian. During his speech, he suggested demonstrators approve the following 15 demands he would like to issue to Armenia’s current ruling authorities:

1. Until Mar. 15, that is, until [Parliamentary Assembly of the] Council of Europe co-rapporteurs’ Yerevan visit, release all those prisoners imprisoned for their political views and activities: Sasun Mikaelyan, Nikol Pashinyan, Harutyun Urutyan, Aram Bareghamyan, Sargis Hatspanyan, Murad Bojolyan, Ara Hovhannisyan, Shmavon Galstyan and Roman Mnatsakanyan.

2. Create an independent international commission to examine the events of March 1 [2008] or reinstate the fact-finding group, with the inclusion of international experts and to aim to fully disclose and punish before the law all those guilty for this monstrous crime committed by the ruling authorities.

3. Fully compensate the material damages of all citizens who suffered from the March 1 crime, particularly allocating $1 million to families of those who died and at least $100,000 to families of the injured.

4. Stop the constant threats and violence against informed groups, blocking the main roads on the days of rallies, and police warnings and intimidation tactics that aim to keep citizens from rallies and from political activity in general, and to eliminate the unlawful prohibition on holding rallies in Liberty Square.

5. In fulfilling the irreversible ruling by the European Court, finally reinstate A1+ TV station’s activities, hold all those officials who violated this ruling strictly accountable and generally eliminate full state control on electronic information resources.

6. Stop the authorities’ adopted bellicose and threatening rhetoric, and, with the aim of transferring the Karabakh settlement process to a normal direction, immediately reinstate the negotiations’ former format, in which, based on a decision at the OSCE Budapest Summit, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh became a full party to the conflict.

7. Annul the ban on street trade and the ill-fated adopted decisions on the closing of small shops after 8 pm and compulsory vehicle insurance, as well as reinstating the former amount of customs duties on imported goods.

8. Eliminate the unlawful Value Added Tax for cars imported for personal use (and not for sale), which, added to customs duties and the environmental tax, becomes an unbearable burden for the consumer and forces thousands of people to pay customs fees for their cars in neighboring Georgia.

9. Make the minimum [monthly] salary in the Republic of Armenia $200; employment insurance, 50% of that ($100); and the average pension, 40% of the average salary ($112).

10. Remove from parliament the bill for discussion on amendments to RA Labor Law Article 142, according to which the question of defining the work week as 6 days is left to the employer’s discretion, as well as making a corresponding amendment to the Code, mandating employers to compensate employees with three-months’ worth of pay in case of dismissal.

11. Allocate state subsidies for the most important agricultural production, keeping in mind the market price in any given year, the processing conditions of the corridors [where land is cultivated] and the strategic significance of border lands.

12. Announce and publish in the media the belongings and incomes of all former and current high-ranking state officials during Armenia’s independence and their families, beginning from presidents, prime ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, marzpets [regional governors], mayors and ending with judges, prosecutors, generals and National Assembly (previously, the Supreme Council) deputies.

13. For the shameful shortcomings in economic management and ensuring order, tyranny or just being untalented in their professions, dismiss from their posts Republic of Armenia Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, Central Bank President Artur Javadyan, State Revenues Committee Chair Gagik Khachatryan, Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan, RA General Prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan, National Security Service Chief Gorik Hakobyan, RA Police Chief Alik Sargsyan, RA Special Investigative Service Chief Andranik Mirzoyan, head of the penitentiary department at the Ministry of Justice Hayk Harutyunyan.

14. The rally also considers it necessary to call on international agencies, and the governments of the United States of America and the European Union to stop supporting Armenia’s authoritarian administration based on geopolitical considerations, which not only does nothing to promote democratic reform, but also strengthening the regime’s positions more, at last count, is directed against the people, which becomes quite evident in light of recent events in Arab countries, and which even Western politicians and independent analysts confess.

15. In the case of the noted demands or a significant part of the demands being carried out, the rally authorizes the Armenian National Congress to begin a working dialogue with the authorities, having on the agenda the sole issue of holding pre-term presidential and parliamentary elections.

Demonstrators “voted” in favor of these demands by raising their voices.
“As for what process this announcement will undergo or what type of response it will receive from the authorities, together with you we will discuss this and make corresponding conclusions at the next rally, which will take place on Mar. 17…

Accordingly, from now on, the Armenian National Congress rallies will turn from current political actions to a unique public self-governming forum, with the full authority of making decisions and exercising them,” concluded the HAK leader.

"Serjik, Bazaz, Osipov!"

With the next meeting coming up in about a day, on the third anniversary of the horrific events of March 1, 2008, the opposition movement has been trying to distribute flyers to inform people about the march. And, as usual, the police are out there harassing the youth distributing flyers, trying to shut them up and scare them off. Ten or so youth were taken to the police station the other day while distributing flyers. And on February 26, again, the police tried to stop the distribution of flyers. Much of this one on the 26th one was caught on video- it is 24:19 minutes long, and captures from 15:32 – 17:08 (3:32-5:08 pm).

The main theme here is that both in a residential area where youth are distributing flyers and where the video starts, and in a city centre road where the youth are pulled over while driving with flyers stuck to the outside of the vehicle, the police can’t give a reason for stopping the youth; they can’t city a law or ordinance or anything that is being violated by the youth, to justify trying to stop them. When one of the police is asked straight on in the residential area, all he can come up with is that what he heard one of the youth yell just moments before, “Serjik Murderer,” is not right to say. “You can’t say that, it’s not right,” is what he repeats over and over. Over course, that doesn’t answer the question, nor is it actually illegal.

And when the youth are pulled over, neither the youth, nor Levon Zurabyan (HAK coordinator) who shows up around 16:16, can get an answer from the police as to what illegal act they’ve supposedly committed. What does happen is that the number of police, police in army fatigues, police cars and vans, and eventually red berets (16:51), grows almost exponentially; the youth start continue their chanting while stuck in the street, including “Serjik Mubarak,” and even starts passing out flyers to passing vehicles. Not surprisingly, and coincidence or not, there’s not too much pushing and shoving until about the time when Bazaz shows up (first glimpse of him at 16:49). You can see him pacing back and forth throughout most of the rest of the video. Not a minute after he arrives he’s already yelling for people to be taken to the station “Bajin Tarek!” And not soon after, the youth start shouting what may be my favorite slogan so far, “Serjik! Bazaz! Osipov!” (16:50).

The group was probably followed in some form or another from the residential area (leave at 15:39, and you can see cop car #0155) until they were pulled over at 16:02; the same plainclothes policeman from the residential area can be seen in the second scene milling about and taking pictures, as can the original police car #0155 (see it clearly at 16:13).

What a show of police presence and force, at least 8-10 or more police cars and vans, red berets, creating traffic, and everything else, for 20 or so activists. Intimidation really seems to be their “prevention.” I suppose it works well when you’ve already shown how far you’re willing to go to keep your power, case in point March 1, 2008, and everything since.

I wonder, in the end, if the police came up with some excuse for their behavior, for illegally harassing and obstructing the youth. Maybe that's what took so long, they couldn't come up with a fake reason. Come to think of it, they've done this so many times,they probably don't even need to bother anymore.

[Addendum: here is the link to the video, looks like I'd forgotten it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5qliPS0C_8Y ]

Pashinyan in Court

This video was put up less than a week ago. I kept hoping it would get transcribed (and even translated), and I'd be able to post it with more info, but no luck.
Its absolutely incredible. Pashinyan uses simple language, simple allegory, satire and comedy, and simple logic, to show just how ludicrous the court system, and the entire regime, is.
I've posted it below, with some very rough transcription and translation of some segments... what I've put there are just a few of the jewels, there are a lot more, but no amount of translation does it justice.




Pashinyan starts out by giving an incredible example of the completely absurdity of the regime and justice system that stands in Armenia today, by giving an overly complicated and completely irrelevant example answer, that would be given by the regime, to the question, is this piece of paper black or white? Then he goes on…

I will do the same experiment with this piece of paper [as an analogy to his jail sentence and amnesty]

The Amnesty says, halve the portion of this paper that has nothing [written] on it
The court says, there is no portion of the paper without anything written on it, and for that reason we cannot halve it.

But in reality, this paper, in its entirety, has nothing on it. That is, the portion of the paper that has nothing on it, is the entire paper. And to halve the portion that has nothing on it is to fold it (folding it), we fold it in equal halves, and honorable court, halve it in equal portions (tearing it in half).

This primitive [concept], my numerous lawyers have been unable to make the ‘Justice System’ of Armenia comprehend this.

It’s not that they cannot make them understand. Our Armenia’s ‘Justice System’ does not understand, cannot understand and wants to act as though it is, excuse the expression, obtuse.

… there is no independent justice system in the Republic of Armenia. If there were, the Republic of Armenia would not be in the situation it is today…

… if there were a lawful government in the Republic of Armenia, honorable court, if there were a lawful government in the Republic of Armenia, if there were a lawful prosecutor’s office, if there were a lawful court [system], if laws functioned in the Republic of Armenia, this court hearing would not be happening; because I would not be at Artik penitentiary, and I wouldn’t have a problem transferring a piece of paper to my lawyer, and the Criminal and Justice Ministry of the Republic of Armenia would not be so depraved as to lie so obviously in front of the Armenian people…

.. my experience had shown me that the judges in this country have a hearing problem…

… the government of this country does not have enough morality to stand face to face and talk ... the government talks to me through its oligarchs, through its courts…

Armenian police apparently have a different flag... not the Tricolor

Two youths who were harassed while handing out flyers were interviewed today, and they pointed out something very revealing (from approx 0:50-1:10), and exactly to the point, at least in my view. Those in power, are not struggling to protect Armenia or Armenians. They are in the midst of business dealings, plain and simple.
A rough translated transcript is as follows:

First Youth:
“The police said something… its shameful, too... The police came up to the car and said 'put your flag away,… don’t put it here… put away your flag”
And we said “but which is your flag, then?”

Second Youth:
“It was an [Armenian] tricolor [flag] on the car.”

HAK youth across the city were being harrassed and attacked, and two were arrested and taken in to the police station. They were released a few hours later, but it is still unclear why they were taken in in the first place.

The rally is in just a little bit on the 18th. Let's see if the police behave themselves.

Մեր պայքարը անկասելի է, մեր Հաղթանակը անխուսափելի է

Նիկոլ Փաշինյանի հայտարարությունը «Արթիկ» ՔԿՀ-ում (տեսագրություն)

Written Statement in Armenian on 1in.am


Epress article: Pashinyan Chronicles: Imprisoned Journalist Spent 2.5 Hours Waiting in Prison Reception (Updated)

From Haykakan Zhamanak

If you start with none...

Not surprisingly, the regime, along with its accomplices and lackeys, is still trying to silence the voice of opposition. Three of the MPs named in an article by HZH are suing and seem to have won the first round [from epress] - at least in court:

"The three MPs demanded Haykakan Jamanak to retract the story, which they say discredits their honor, dignity and business reputation, as well as compensation in the amount of 2.5 million AMD each — for moral losses and incurred court expenses."

What moral losses? What honor and dignity? What business reputation? There was none of this to begin with. Let's do the basic algebra:

You start with no morality/honor/dignity/reputation = nothing = 0

And you end with no morality/honor/dignity/reputation = nothing = 0

So lets find out what the damage was = the difference/the event = X

O-X=O and then solve for X

X=O

therefore, the injury/damage done was NOTHING.

But what does the court say they will get in return? Something... that is, Money.

Again, no surprise.

Especially not from folks with names like Nemets Rubo, Lfik Samo and Alraghatsy Lyovik

Sudden incredible observations and realizations by the ARF

1in.am published an article a few weeks ago that I still can’t get out of my head it’s so ridiculous. Apparently, the ARF, now, suddenly, out of the blue, feels they need to start and coordinate a movement to defend and promote electoral freedoms and rights in Armenia. They have apparently come to the realization that there are some serious problems in the electoral process in Armenia; they state that people in Armenia are apparently unsatisfied with the electoral process, and something must be done. People must be educated, society must open its eyes and demand a lawful and just electoral system, and the system itself must be enforced such that the outcome of an election is accepted by all.

Wow. You must be kidding, I thought, even the tenth and twentieth times I read the article, which cites Ardsvik Minasyan of the ARF.

So, what brought about this sudden dedication to democracy to the ARF, the party that was a member of the coalition, and is closely linked to Kocharyan… the party that has yet to strongly condemn the massive human rights violations of this regime, including the events of March 1, and the political prisoners who are still behind bars to this day… the party that has yet to truly speak out against the oppression of free media in Armenia… the party that seems to have no problems holding a rally just about wherever and whenever it wants to [I think I may have even seen Bazaz tying the shoelaces of one of the ARF supporters - no, that’s not true, but it sure feels that way when real opposition youth are beaten and arrested, but no limitations are placed on ARF public gatherings]…

Did these realities suddenly occur to them because a) the presidential elections are coming up, b) they are pissed off at Sergik, c) Sergik is pissed off at them, d) they are still Kocharyan’s lackeys e) they want to sett up a distance between themselves and Sergik, f) they want to seem like legitimate, democracy seeking opposition… the list goes on, and obviously, these are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they all play well into each other, don’t they?

What doesn’t work, dear, dear ARF, is this poorly veiled attempt to suddenly have a truly sincere, unbiased interest and motivation for a fair and just electoral system.

[My apologies - I don't remember which online source the spectacular photo is from, maybe RFE/RL, or a1plus or lragir? - if anyone remembers, please let me know]