VAZGEN MANUKYAN’S HEADQUARTERS RESPOND TO TER-PETROSSIAN

E-Channel, 2008-01-14 07:05

The headquarters of Vazgen Manukyan have spread a statement responding to some thoughts expressed by RA former president, presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian at the press conference on January 11.

“During the press conference on January 11, Levon Ter-Petrossian, making a hint about the people’s rebellion against faking the elections in 1996, stated that he was not going to break gates and the head of the parliament chairman,’ the statement says.

On this connection, Vazgen Manukyan’s headquarters declare that “the national movement in 1996 was the consequence of faking the results of presidential elections by the ruling regime.” “If Levon Ter-Petrossian condemns the national rebellion in 1996, his criticism targets not only Vazgen Manukyan but also the formation of people’s power through fair elections. The Constitutional Court formed by a Constitution establishing monarchial regime did not acknowledge that the elections in 1996 had been faked, nor did it acknowledge later that the presidential elections in 2003, and the parliamentary elections in 2007 had been faked,” the statement says.

“There is no doubt that Levon Ter-Petrossian’s resignation in 1998 was resulted by the elections in 1996,” the headquarters of the presidential candidate state.

“As for the percents “drawn” as a result of the faked elections in 1996, 1998, 2003 that are attributed to Vazgen Manukyan, Levon Ter-Petrossian, “exploiting them” should acknowledge that the ballots attributed to senior and junior Demirchyans in 1998 and 2003 were also accurate. Apart from that, he has declared that all the elections after him had been faked. However, in 1998 he congratulated Robert Kocharyan,” is mentioned in Vazgen Manukyan’s headquarters statement.

http://www.echannel.am/?topic_id=1110

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s first news conference in a decade is a top story in Saturday’s Armenian newspapers.

“Haykakan Zhamanak” notes a lack of tough questions to Ter-Petrosian, wondering if the mood of Armenians journalists reflects that of the public as a whole. “In effect, only two sharp questions/reservations were voiced and Levon Ter-Petrosian gave clear answers to questions relating to the 1996 elections and the suspension of Dashnaktsutyun,” comments the paper sympathetic to the former president. “Now the public is in the process of digesting answers given by Levon Ter-Petrosian.”

“Although Ter-Petrosian did not stand on a rally podium this time around, he could not refuse to act in his beloved format,” says “Hayastani Hanrapetutyun.” “During the news conference, which was more like a show than a rally, the former president’s sound bites were periodically interrupted by applause from [members of] his team … He did not even try to stop the applause which interfered with the journalists’ professional work, even though, as he said, he is against any manifestation of emotional approach to politics.”

http://www.armenialiberty.org/press/press/en/2008/01/DE5410AF-FF57-4BF9-91B1-9CEEEB4A60C4.ASP

SCANDAL EXPOSES SHADY SIDE OF TER-PETROSSIAN ERA

by Emil Danielyan

[…] The material self-enrichment of many HHSh leaders against the background of a mostly impoverished population since1991 has engendered a widespread hatred toward the former rulers. And for many people, the flamboyant Siradeghian is the main symbol of an official engaging in corruption with impunity. Lashing out at Siradeghian was therefore bound to boost the dwindling popularity of Kocharian’s leadership.

That Kocharian’s blow struck home was evidenced by the fact that Ter-Petrossian finally broke the silence he had maintained since his resignation on 3 February 1998. The ex- president said the authorities have “disgraced” Armenia by targeting Siradeghian. Since Ter-Petrossian did not speak out last December, when Siradeghian admitted that the 1996 presidential election was rigged to ensure Ter-Petrossian’s second term, the former president may well see a danger for himself if his old comrade-in-arms goes on trial. In such a case, the former president may be held accountable for the actions of his former subordinate. And if the murder allegations proved true, the disgrace caused to Ter-Petrossian would cast a shadow on his seven years in power, which he believes was a period of sweeping reforms constituting an important chapter in the country’s history.

[…]

Siradeghian is believed to have made a huge personal fortune, of which his house in Yerevan (estimated to be worth $1 million) is the most conspicuous evidence. His flamboyant behavior and extravagant, contradictory, and often cynical discourse were apparently based on political calculations. For example, in the wake of the 1996 post-election unrest, he reportedly endorsed the release of an amateur video featuring a drunken party of “power” ministers (including himself) and generals who could be seen congratulating one another on having successfully engineered Ter-Petrossian’s re-election. Armenians were thus given to understand that they cannot change their leadership through fair elections.

http://www.fplib.org/friends/news/omri/1999/02/990205I.html

Like many of us have said time and time again before, such infantile attempts at black propaganda usually backfire. Few people buy into such stuff and it usually ends up making the “victim” look more credible in the eyes of the TV audience.

Oh well, on their own heads be it. That’s part of the game that is “democracy” in this part of the world as well.