Ter-Petrossian Defends Karabakh Policy

RFE/RL reports that presidential candidate and former head of state, Levon Ter-Petrossian, has defended his position on finding a solution to the Karabakh conflict and normalizing relations with Azerbaijan. The response comes after the incumbent president, Robert Kocharian, accused him of defeatism.

Kocharian took the presidency after forcing Ter-Petrossian to resign precisely over this issue alongside other key officials such as then defense minister Vazgen Sargsyan. Ironically, one of Ter-Petrossian’s key backers is the brother of the assassinated official, Aram.

“If he takes cooperation of peoples and good neighborhood as chumminess, that is the expression of his cultural level, his state of mind,” Ter-Petrosian shot back at a campaign rally in Vartenis, a small town near the eastern shore of Lake Sevan.

“Yes, I am stating that the land which has been Armenian for 3,000 years will remain Armenian for another 3,000,” he said, referring to Karabakh. “That achievement has to be formalized by an international treaty, after which we will cooperate and establish good-neighborly relations with Azerbaijan.

“Because our main conduit to the outside world is Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani railway used to handle 85 percent of Armenia’s external cargo turnover.”

Interestingly, RFE/RL reports Aram Sargsyan as saying that Ter-Petrossian has “won” in Yerevan and that he now needs only to “prevail in the regions.” However, there doesn’t appear to be any sign of that in the capital with Ter-Petrossian’s last major rally attended mainly by people from outside Yerevan as The Armenian Patchwork also reported.

The report also goes on to note that not everyone attending his meetings are supporters.

“He destroyed what we had. How can we be happy?” said one man, recalling Armenia’s economic meltdown of the early 1990s.

“I had no job here during his rule and I have no job now,” said another. “Nor will I have one under the next president.”

Then again, such a situation is to be expected from a pre-election campaign meeting. The same is true for Sargsyan meetings with many attending to acquaint themselves with the candidates. A large number of Armenians are believed to still be undecided as to who to vote for in the 19 february 2008 presidential election in Armenia.