“Orinats Yerkir, which is one of only two opposition groups represented in parliament, [] endorsed two anti-fraud amendments to Armenia’s Election Code that were put forward by Ter-Petrosian at a rally on Friday. Baghdasarian’s party said the proposed changes will be incorporated into its own package of election-related amendments which will be submitted to the National Assembly soon.” RFE/RL reports.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the “Rule of Law”(Orinats Yerkir) party, which is the leading Armenian opposition party by the number of Parliamentary mandates, “refused to support former President Levon Ter-Petrosian in the upcoming presidential election, saying that it will not reconsider its decision to field its leader Artur Baghdasarian’s candidacy.”
It is interesting, that unlike Vazgen Manukyan’s utterly negative attitude towards Levon Ter-Petrossian, “Orinats Yerkir” seems to have assumed a more flexible policy. With one hand they implement suggestions brought forward by LTP, with the other they refuse to support his candidacy. Does it mean Artur Baghdasaryan is sending a hidden signal, that under change of circumstances at some point he might still be ready to endorse Ter-Petrossian? Moreover, from the same source we find out, that:
At the same time the party said it is ready to work together with Ter-Petrosian and other opposition candidates in trying to ensure the freedom and fairness of the February 19 vote.
Well, I wouldn’t get too carried away. Supporting anti-fraud measures is nowhere near the same as supporting a candidate. On the other hand, I think Baghdasarian entered parliament first as a member of HHSh, but someone might know better than me as I wasn’t here for more than 10 days during LTP’s time.
Ok, I was right and from reading this it’s possible he also has sympathies still for LTP. On the other hand, another scenerio is that Baghdasarian’s support for LTP would only be if Levon made it through to the second round. Conversely, though, maybe LTP would support Baghdasarian if it was the other way round. I think it all depends on where Heritage puts it support if and when Raffi’s nomination gets rejected — Levon, Vazgen, Artur or a Dashnak.
http://www.rferl.org/reports/caucasus-report/2004/12/45-061204.asp
Arturik is just shopping around for some fresh ideas and picking up some juicy bits and bobs from here and there like. But he also realises that such measurements in electoral code could benefit him as well. Yet te fact remains: Baghdasaryan is no more than a slimey careerist. If next day the polls show that Stalinist doctrine of “Socialism in one country” is back in fashion, he will be the first one to copy/paste it to his manifesto.
These kind of politicians with no ideological core, no original worldview and vision other then generic statist and liberalist protocols, who hop from one oportunity to another, usually don’t last too long in politics. They eventually decline and disappear. Does anyone remember Vigen Khatchaturian?
Baghdasaryan got into assembly on HHShK ticket, but that means nothing today, Whatever deal that he will broker with LTP (if he does so) before or after the elections, will be conducted on the basis on pure personal cost/benefit calculations.
I’m not even sure it it’s correct to regard him and his party as being an opposition.
[…] related news, The Armenian Observer reports that Orinats Yerkir party leader Artur Baghdasarian has endorsed various anti-electoral fraud measures proposed by former president Levon Ter Petrosian, but has stopped short of supporting the former […]
Fully agree with Kronstadt.
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