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DASHNAKS EYE KEY POSTS IN FUTURE GOVERNMENT
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
May 9 2007
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) appeared to
have publicly laid claim on Wednesday to the crucial post of defense
minister in Armenia's new government to be formed as a result of
Saturday's parliamentary elections.
Campaigning in Yerevan's western Ajapnyak district, leaders of the
influential party also reiterated that they will quit the government
if the vote falls short of democratic standards or if the next National
Assembly is dominated by other political groups.
One of them, Armen Rustamian, made it clear that Dashnaktsutyun
can only be part of a "national government" in which the ministers
of education and defense represent political parties espousing a
"national ideology."
"Those are political posts, and it is only political forces that have
to assume political posts," he told more than two hundred supporters
attending the campaign rally. "Our greatest misfortune is that very
often political posts are assumed by those who do not represent a
political force or a party. We must put an end to this."
"The country must be governed by political parties," said another
Dashnaktsutyun leader, Social Security Minister Aghvan Hovsepian.
"The world doesn't know of a better system of governance."
The party loyal to President Robert Kocharian is represented
in his current cabinet with four ministers that are in charge of
education, social programs, healthcare, and agriculture. It has long
been seeking to extend its government presence to the military or
security agencies. Its leaders have made no secret of their desire
to see Artur Aghabekian, who resigned as deputy defense minister to
run for parliament on the Dashnaktsutyun ticket earlier this year,
become Armenia's next defense minister.
The post became vacant last month after its previous longtime holder,
Serzh Sarkisian, was appointed prime minister in place of the late
Andranik Markarian. Many expected it to be given to Aghabekian,
considering the fact that he is a figure close to Sarkisian.
Sources close to the Armenian leadership say the latter tried hard
to convince Kocharian to appoint Aghabekian as defense minister.
However, Kocharian chose to give the job to Colonel-General Mikael
Harutiunian, a career military officer who has previously headed the
Armenian army's General Staff.
Speaking to RFE/RL after his speech, Rustamian did not deny
that Dashnaktsutyun is unhappy with the decision and thinks that
Harutiunian must be replaced after the elections. "There must be a
political leadership at the Defense Ministry," he said. "The defense
sphere must be reformed. Military service must be separated from the
political management of defense."
Vahan Hovannisian, another leading member of Dashnaktsutyun, also
exposed the party's disaffection with the situation as he addressed
the small crowd. "Some say political posts must not be held by
representatives of political parties," he said. "But who should hold
them? He who pays a bigger bribe?"
Dashnaktsutyun controls only 11 of the 131 seats in the outgoing
Armenian parliament, and needs to have more seats in the next
legislature in order to play a larger role in the executive.
Vartanian sounded optimistic on that score, saying that his party
will have a "much weightier presence in the state system" after
the elections.
But Rustamian was more cautious, repeating his earlier remarks that
Dashnaktsutyun will not join a coalition government led by parties
enjoying a comfortable majority in parliament. He clearly referred to
the two election frontrunners: Sarkisian's Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) and the Prosperous Armenia Party of pro-Kocharian businessman
Gagik Tsarukian.
"We will never be the fifth wheel of a coalition," Rustamian told
RFE/RL. "Secondly, we will never be part of a government formed by
a dubiously elected National Assembly."
Hovannisian issued a similar warning that may well have been primarily
addressed to the HHK. "Those who try to distort the vote of our
people in this election will deal with both laws of the Republic of
Armenia and with Dashnaktsutyun, and there won't be any forgiveness,"
he said in his speech.
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
May 9 2007
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) appeared to
have publicly laid claim on Wednesday to the crucial post of defense
minister in Armenia's new government to be formed as a result of
Saturday's parliamentary elections.
Campaigning in Yerevan's western Ajapnyak district, leaders of the
influential party also reiterated that they will quit the government
if the vote falls short of democratic standards or if the next National
Assembly is dominated by other political groups.
One of them, Armen Rustamian, made it clear that Dashnaktsutyun
can only be part of a "national government" in which the ministers
of education and defense represent political parties espousing a
"national ideology."
"Those are political posts, and it is only political forces that have
to assume political posts," he told more than two hundred supporters
attending the campaign rally. "Our greatest misfortune is that very
often political posts are assumed by those who do not represent a
political force or a party. We must put an end to this."
"The country must be governed by political parties," said another
Dashnaktsutyun leader, Social Security Minister Aghvan Hovsepian.
"The world doesn't know of a better system of governance."
The party loyal to President Robert Kocharian is represented
in his current cabinet with four ministers that are in charge of
education, social programs, healthcare, and agriculture. It has long
been seeking to extend its government presence to the military or
security agencies. Its leaders have made no secret of their desire
to see Artur Aghabekian, who resigned as deputy defense minister to
run for parliament on the Dashnaktsutyun ticket earlier this year,
become Armenia's next defense minister.
The post became vacant last month after its previous longtime holder,
Serzh Sarkisian, was appointed prime minister in place of the late
Andranik Markarian. Many expected it to be given to Aghabekian,
considering the fact that he is a figure close to Sarkisian.
Sources close to the Armenian leadership say the latter tried hard
to convince Kocharian to appoint Aghabekian as defense minister.
However, Kocharian chose to give the job to Colonel-General Mikael
Harutiunian, a career military officer who has previously headed the
Armenian army's General Staff.
Speaking to RFE/RL after his speech, Rustamian did not deny
that Dashnaktsutyun is unhappy with the decision and thinks that
Harutiunian must be replaced after the elections. "There must be a
political leadership at the Defense Ministry," he said. "The defense
sphere must be reformed. Military service must be separated from the
political management of defense."
Vahan Hovannisian, another leading member of Dashnaktsutyun, also
exposed the party's disaffection with the situation as he addressed
the small crowd. "Some say political posts must not be held by
representatives of political parties," he said. "But who should hold
them? He who pays a bigger bribe?"
Dashnaktsutyun controls only 11 of the 131 seats in the outgoing
Armenian parliament, and needs to have more seats in the next
legislature in order to play a larger role in the executive.
Vartanian sounded optimistic on that score, saying that his party
will have a "much weightier presence in the state system" after
the elections.
But Rustamian was more cautious, repeating his earlier remarks that
Dashnaktsutyun will not join a coalition government led by parties
enjoying a comfortable majority in parliament. He clearly referred to
the two election frontrunners: Sarkisian's Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) and the Prosperous Armenia Party of pro-Kocharian businessman
Gagik Tsarukian.
"We will never be the fifth wheel of a coalition," Rustamian told
RFE/RL. "Secondly, we will never be part of a government formed by
a dubiously elected National Assembly."
Hovannisian issued a similar warning that may well have been primarily
addressed to the HHK. "Those who try to distort the vote of our
people in this election will deal with both laws of the Republic of
Armenia and with Dashnaktsutyun, and there won't be any forgiveness,"
he said in his speech.