Levon Ter-Petrossian Ready to Negotiate?
RFE/RL reports on yesterday’s meeting held by political forces supporting former president Levon Ter-Petrossian. If the report is correct, the new leader of the radical opposition appears ready to negotiate with the authorities in order to prevent a repeat of the post-election violence which left at least 10 dead. The remark came during Ter-Petrossian’s first public speech since the 1 March disturbances and, while critical of the international community for its largely positive assessment of the 19 February presidential election, certainly represents a more conciliatory line.
“While continuing the principled and determined struggle against the anti-popular regime, we must do everything to avoid internal political upheavals and developments threatening the country’s stability,” he said in a 90-minute speech at a conference of some two dozen opposition groups that supported his presidential bid.
Ter-Petrosian cited Azerbaijan’s growing threats to win back Nagorno-Karabakh by force as the main reason why he thinks his “popular movement” should now exercise greater caution. “We must primarily take into account the existing mood in Azerbaijan aimed at benefiting from such a situation,” he explained. “Azerbaijan must realize that regardless of the political situation in our country, it would meet with a united resistance of the Armenian people in the event of unleashing a military aggression against Karabakh.”
Interestingly, Ter-Petrossian was reportedly more conciliatory towards the new president, Serge Sargsyan. Instead of directing criticism towards the former prime minister, Ter-Petrossian instead directed his main attack on the former president, Robert Kocharian. Whether his words mark a realization from Ter-Petrossian that the radical opposition is unable to contest the outcome of the vote on the streets is a moot point. The fact is that whatever the motivation, Armenia’s first president is ready to negotiate in order to ostensibly spare the country from further upheavals.
Ter-Petrosian […] urged the U.S. to drop its threats to freeze $236 million in promised economic assistance to Armenia unless the government reverses the crackdown. “While supporting political sanctions against the ruling regime, we are deeply concerned about statements regarding planned economic sanctions against Armenia because they would hurt not the authorities but our people,” he said.
Both the EU and the Council of Europe have called for an independent inquiry into the March 1 unrest as well as the release of all Ter-Petrosian loyalists arrested for political motives and the lifting of severe government restrictions on freedom of assembly. In an April 17 resolution, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) warned that failure to promptly take these measures would call into question Yerevan’s full membership in the organization. It also urged Ter-Petrosian to accept a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld the official vote results.
Ter-Petrosian stated that he is ready to negotiate with the authorities if they comply with the resolution.” “While not accepting the legitimacy of a regime that seized power with such crude methods, we are ready to take into account the fact of its being a real political factor and to start political dialogue with it,” he said. “But we regard that dialogue not as a means for bringing one of the parties down on its knees but as an opportunity to implement real reforms in the country and to create a normal field for political activity.”
Nevertheless, Ter-Petrossian repeated calls for new presidential elections, something that few — if any — are expecting. Fresh parliamentary elections were also demanded, but again, it is unlikely that the parties dominating the National Assembly would agree although it is true that a more representative body would be conducive to achieving consensus in the decision-making process. Regardless, despite the first signs of compromise in other areas from the radical opposition, op-eds in the print media appear to take a different line.
“The regime still hopes that Levon Ter-Petrosian will start negotiations with it,” writes “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.” “The key question is not what those negotiations should focus on. The question is who should take part in them.” The opposition paper says Ter-Petrosian should not talk to President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian.
“Azg” notes that those who have been calling for a “dialogue” between Ter-Petrosian and Sarkisian do not say what specifically the two men should discuss and which concrete grievances they should seek to address. “It is obvious that a ludicrous situation has emerged,” says the paper. “In no other country, even a post-Soviet one, does a candidate who won 21 percent of the vote talk on behalf of all people, especially with ultimatums. One gets the impression that the votes of 350,000 people are more decisive [for Ter-Petrosian] than the 850,000 votes cast for Serzh Sarkisian and about 400,000 votes cast for the other candidates.”
Whatever the view, however, and whatever the numbers, there is the basis for discussion and negotiations in the form of Council of Europe Resolution 1609. In particular, it calls on the radical opposition to recognize the constitutional court ruling confirming the results of the presidential election as well as on the government to release those detained on purely political grounds. Another demand is for an independent inquiry into the 1 March riot to be held.
Indeed, A1 Plus reports that People’s Party leader Stepan Demirchian told the hundreds gathered that most of the opposition’s demands are consistent with the CE resolution, but that pressure still needs to be applied in order to get the government to agree. Typical of the previous presidential election in 2003 which saw the opposition active until May 2004, Ter-Petrossian promised new demonstrations although stressed that they would be held in accordance with the law.
But, with RFE/RL being the only news outlet to really report Ter-Petrossian’s apparent readiness to negotiate — and with diplomatic circles informing The Caucasian Knot after the congress that they see no reason for optimism yet — it remains to be seen how the authorities will react to his speech and whether it marks a gradual de-escalation of post-election tensions or not.
Photos: © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008
- Published:
- 05.03.08 / 9am by Onnik
- Category:
- Armenia, Armenia Presidential Election 2008, Candidates, Constitutional Court, Council of Europe, Democracy
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