and also….

The ARF are not Mensheviks, nor have they ever been. The menshevik government in georiga sold Armenia out during the months of the Transcaucasian Commisariat and independence. Furthermore, the ARF was not founded as a socialist party. It was founded as a nationalist pro civil rights for Armenians party. Socialism was only adopted in the first decade of the 20th century and even then it was nothing like the socialism of the day. Socialism for the ARF stems from the logic that to love your nation you must do everything to provide for its social welfare and protection.

LTP is considered a threat for a reason…Because he is.

ARFD FLAG STOLEN

A1 Plus, 30 January, 2008

On the night of January 28 unknown people broke into presidential candidate Vahan Hovhannissian’s pre-election office located on Myasnikian 34, Dilijan, and stole the flags of the Republic of Armenia and ARF Dashnaktsutiun. An estimated 4000 AMD loss was inflicted on the office.

Investigation is underway.

As for campaigning, generally sympathizing LTP, I never welcomed his distancing from crowd and royal stature. But you have to admit that he has reason to fear for his life, as being considered real threat to authorities or from a lonely madman, who hates him as a former president.

While I agree with that, I do however then have to ask if that wouldn’t be the same situation for Serge? While there are bodyguards around him, it is possible to get right up next to him. Indeed, at his campaign rally when I was standing on the stairs to the stage he just walked straight past me within half a meter without any security around.

Ter-Petrossian, however, is another matter entirely and I’m usually having to shoot with a 200mm or 300mm on digital (300 and 450mm equivalent on film) which doesn’t make for dynamic images (I prefer wideangles) so I have to be honest, I’m also considering picture opportunities as well as the fact that I like to see candidates actually in touch with their electorate.

ARAM MANUKYAN – EXAMPLE FOR STATE ACTORS

A1 Plus, 29 January, 2008

Today is Aram Manukyan’s 89-th death anniversary. He was the founder of the First Armenian Independent Republic.

Member of the ARF Bureau Vahan Hovhannisyan and members of “Nikol Aghbalyan” students’ union visited the city pantheon today and put flowers on his grave.

Vahan Hovhannisyan mentioned that during the short period of the independence of the State, Aram Manukyan and his team managed to establish a program for the development of the state which was still on modern lines. “Political actors of the past differ from the today’s actors. I think that no other state actor has ever been a better example of imitation by being with the nation when it was in trouble. I would like every one to take an example from Aram Manukyan”, said Vahan Hovhannisyan.

We should remind that Aram Manukyan died of typhus. He was infected when visiting camps of refugees when he was the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Not that I’d vote for them, although if I were a voter I’d consider it despite the shiver I get running down my back whenever I hear the term “national-socialist.”

Still, their socialist orientation would tempt me especially in a country such as Armenia which needs safety nets for many among the population, but in terms of foreign policy, I agree.

Anyway, just to say that I at can at least applaud Hovannisian for campaigning and coming into close contact with voters.

I haven’t seen Levon Ter-Petrossian do this at his rallies in Central Yerevan, and while Serge does, it’s not quite the same.

Anyway, like Blogian, I applaud the ARF-D for bringing something refreshing to an otherwise tedious and almost antiquated election based on mutual insult and no real interest in the conduct or outcome of the vote on election day itself.

BTW: Next up for this series documenting the candidates will likely be Artur Baghdasarian.

Armenia needs, open, objective, unbiased evaluation of ARF role in the history

Please do. In fact, I’d like to see that for all the candidates as long as everything is backed up by facts although analysis and conclusions made responsibly through reasoned argument is valid too.

This is true both inside and outside Armenia. Internally, it is obviously an attempt to capture the votes of other candidates running against Serge Sargsyan.

Outside of Armenia it is to create the illusion of an opposition leader with such overwhelming support behind him (even if he doesn’t have it) that street protests and likely civil unrest are justified.

Actually, it’s all about which candidate will make it through to a likely second round to challenge Sargsyan and on that, the situation is still unclear.

It’s also another reason why Heritage are waiting, unless other candidates unite around a common main candidate prior to the 19 February presidential election.

Anyway, it’s all a game of propaganda and misinformation, basically, and RFE/RL is part of that. On the other hand, at least they’ve stopped referring to Ter-Petrossian as the main challenger in recent days.

19:24 28/01/2008
“NO FAVORITE IN OPPOSITIONAL CANDIDATES”

Today RA president candidate Vazgen Manukyan met with the journalists and said “there is not a single oppositional favorite in the pre election time”.

He said that the electors’ votes are shared among the oppositional and governmental candidates, and after those votes are collected in the hands of one oppositional candidate and this candidate will participate in the second stage of the presidential elections.

”There is not a leader who is followed by a great army and which will win Serzh Sargsyan. Thus it is very important that the oppositional votes will not covered by the government candidate,” he said.

According to him it is impossible to fight against the second stage, thus who gets many voices, he will fight against Serzh Sargsyan.

Source: Panorama.am

Also, Raffi Hovannisian has ceded hundreds of seats in Armenian election commissions, reserved for Zharangutyun, to political allies of another leading contender, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, rather than Dashnaktsutyun.

Firstly, one can suppose Heritage made this decision so that every main political party was represented on election commissions. As it happens, the ARF-D and Orints Yerkir already are sothere’s no need for them to gain more seats. Instead, Heritage approached those parties with candidates not represented on PECs, TECs, or in the CEC.

Secondly, Heritage did not just cede them to the pro-Ter-Petrossian People’s and Republic party, it also ceded them to the very anti-Ter-Petrossian National Democratic Union of Vazgen Manukian. Indeed, Manukian is perhaps the most outspoken critic of Ter-Petrossian’s return to active politics.

Ironically, RFE/RL even reported all of this last week, but seems to have conveniently forgotten it now, just as it overlooked the first case of election-related violence in the official pre-election campaign period when Ter-Petrossian supporters beat a heckler in Talin.

Concerning to say the least.

If this alliance between NDU/ARF-D/ Heritage were to happen Ter-Petrossian would stand no chance of challenging the prime minister. Moreover, if a “united front” between Manukian and Heritage were to go behind either Hovannisian or Baghdasarian, with the other also joining forces, it is arguable that Sargsyan would even face a more serious threat than that represented by any of the candidates on their own.

Of course, if Heritage were to support the former president that would also be the case as Orinats Yerkir have already highlighted their willingness to back any opposition candidate who makes it through to a likely second round. It is, of course, unlikely that the ARF-D would back the former president who not only banned them, but also threw several key members in prison in the 1990s.

Vahan Hovannisian, the presidential candidate of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said on Monday that he still hopes to win the backing of two prominent opposition leaders for the February 19 election.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Hovannisian also stood by his view that none of the nine presidential hopefuls, including Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, can garner sufficient votes to win the election already in the first round of voting.

“We are saving no effort to make that happen. We are talking, negotiating,” he said when asked about the possibility of the endorsement of his candidacy by opposition leaders Raffi Hovannisian (no relation to Vahan) and Vazgen Manukian.

“I think real chances of victory must outweigh any kind of ambition or pressure. If that is the case, I think we definitely have a chance to reach such agreement,” added the deputy speaker of Armenia’s parliament.

Manukian, who is also running for president but is not regarded as a major contender, told RFE/RL at the weekend that he stands ready to form a “united front” with Dashnaktsutyun and Raffi Hovannisian’s Zharangutyun party. The veteran politician has so far avoided holding campaign rallies, and his comments may be an indication that he is considering dropping out of the race.