Garbis: Armenian Politics Stagnate While Threat to Statehood Looms
YEREVAN—On the surface, Armenian citizens seem to be divided into two camps—those who enthusiastically support the government and those in sheer defiance, regardless of whether those opinions are made public or held secret. There are no popular parties per se, with none of them actively campaigning for wide public support. The ruling Republican Party is no exception, being overwhelmingly endorsed by government employees and those with ties to the ruling elite.
At a time when Armenia has been courting Turkey to jumpstart relations under highly controversial conditions against its own favor, the stew of Armenian politics should be boiling over. Yet strangely enough, concern over the protocols that are meant to forge Turkish-Armenian relations once they are ratified in mid-October is faint.
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I agree with Christian Garbis that the opposition parties “have yet to step up to the plate.”
Look, Armenia’s Parliament and President were elected fraudulently through ballot box stuffing, media represssion and intimidation, threats, violence, and all sorts of wrongdoing that go back years.
They have no right, therefore, to negotiate or ratify such a weighty and controversial (to say the least) document as the Protocols from Hell.
Step 1: Members of the opposition parties must declare that the government is illegal and demand its resignation
Step 2: Members of the opposition must resign from the government
Step 3: The opposition must declare that the Protocols were negotiated by an illegal government and violate present international law (as explained by various persons, including Ara Papian).
Step 4: The opposition must declare that if the Protocols are “ratified,” they will forever be regarded as illegal and DOA (“Dead-on-Arrival”) and will never have the force of law even if the present government and Turkey claim otherwise.
A “law”, if you wish the dignify the Protocols from Hell by that name, that does not have the clear INFORMED support of the people – and this one clearly does not – is a law that will be ratified under a dark cloud and that Armenians will not accept and that the international community knows is DOA. The Protocols process will fall apart if the outcry by the opposition is united and strong.
Please advise the meaning of ¨positive opposition¨?
We must not sign anything with Turkey without returning our Western Armenia and recogntion of Genocide.
If we wait enough, one day Turkey will come to us for a visa entering EU.