Monday, August 04, 2008

A victory for Vazgen Manukian.

Looks like Mr. Vazgen Manukian is slowly expanding his shady influence on Armenia. First, he unleashed a campaign against Levon Ter-Petrosian and the Sharjum. Then he endorsed the RK-SS duo and their tactics. After that, his buddy and one time party apparatchik Tigran Sargsian became the Prime Minister.


Now another buddy of his, an infamous windbag Shavarsh Kocharian, has become the Deputy Foreign Minister. It's only a matter of time until Mr. Manukian is given a comfy position as well for his support of the regime.

BTW: It looks like Mr. Shavarsh Kocharian was appointed to this position illegally. He was given this position by SS. The constitution allows the president to appoint people only if he has that right given to him by the constitution or a law (article 55, paragraphs 4 and 5). SS has appointed Mr. Kocharian not based by the constitution or a law but based on a presidential decree for organizing the work of the government. A presidential decree is not a law (a law is something that is passed by the parliament).

So, SS has managed to commit yet another illegitimate act. Congratulations!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vazgen Manukyan will always be hated by LTP die-hards, as VM was rightfully elected in 96 when LTP stole the election. For that reason alone, VM must be hated forever by followers of the Messiah LTP.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Well, I don't know any followers of LTP so I can't say about that.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous – I don’t know about your absolutists terms above, but I think VM’s causal role in the violence after the 1996 elections probably contributes to tensions between the two camps. As far as I recall it, VM was the head of a group which took down the fence to the National Assembly building, kidnapped Ararktsian (Pres of Parliament), and beat Sahagian and Rubinyan (Deputy Speakers). In fact, when the group left that building and moved on the Presidential building, LTP refused to let the guards fire their weapons, and it was only after he heard that kidnapping and beatings were taking place that he allowed weapons to be fired into the air. His instigating phrase was well known at the time, “Gnatsink Joghovurd.”
Tzitzernak

Anonymous said...

"Եթե 20 րոպեից չգամ, եկեք հետևիցս: "Մեկնաբանություններն ավելորդ են:
This isn’t a Serjik-Levon issue, or a VM-Levon issue...People need to stop obsessing over Levon and focus on how having such an incompetent fool in the foreign ministry is going to affect Armenia’s already battered reputation.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Vazgen Manukian was in my short list of acceptable candidates for the 2008 elections (together with Artur Baghdasarian). Unfortunately, these two people have driven themselves to irrelevancy with their actions since then.

VM actually has been working hard since 1996 on this. While he had 50%+ electoral votes in 1996 - I believe that he was screwed out of fair and clean elections - he has systematically done everything possible to diminish his credibility to a point that he may currently have 100-200 supporters out there.

Anonymous said...

"ltp refused to let the guards fire" but commanded his chief henchman "interpol" vano to kill at will.

nice.

Anonymous said...

"Tzitzernak", please, don't bring in your wishful thinking as a fact. The beating and shooting at opposition was already a practice since 1995.

Anonymous said...

Please do not bring up Armenian history (most notably 1991-98) as it doesn't paint the current authorities in a bad light. Anonymous, on this blog we enjoy our selective memory.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Anonymous, Armenia is a systematic problem. The same was true during the communist times (yes, they practiced vote buying, too), the 1996 presidential election and all the elections since then. The only clean elections were from 1991 through 1995. For example, Ashot Manukian, one of the political prisoners this blog advocates for, was a HHSh member and yet did not get elected in the 1995 parliamentary elections.

There is no selective memory on this blog and dissenting views, even the unrelated ones, are welcome as long as they do not cross the fine line between decency and indecency.

Anonymous said...

nazarian, probably you are far from Armenian history and do not know how HHSH was planning and implementing 1995 elections. HHSH was /is/ so clan-centric that didn't even bother to tell his member [be it Ashot Manukyan or else] that the particular place belongs to other non-hhsh member [usually such deals were with communists]. So if still Ashot Manukyan is thinking about fair elections then he is double cheated by HHSH core clan members.

Anonymous said...

"Please do not bring up Armenian history (most notably 1991-98) as it doesn't paint the current authorities in a bad light. "

How so? During the "cold and dark years" Qocharyan was a prominent HHSh member. From 1993 till 1999 Serjhik held various crucial posts, including defense minister, head of state security department, national security minister, and interior affairs minister in LTP's administration. At the time, neither seemed particularly concerned about HHSh "running the country to the ground." That's why it's so embarrassing to hear either of these clowns criticize the 90's and having the need to "remind Armenians a few things."

No one asks of course, dear Mr. Serjhik Sargsyan, if LTP was so appalling, if the level of fraud and "talan" was so ridiculous, why didn't you resign in disgust, sir?

I think the current authorities' problem is precisely the fact that people have too long a memory and weren't brainwashed by 10 years of H1 propaganda.

Anonymous said...

dear me, thats the difference between silent majority and two agressive likewise acting minority group.

The silent majority wants to ask to both serzhik and LTP what the hell they did in 1991-2008. Put LTP and SS and RK and other garbage in one basket, and you will get your answer.

However nazarian continues arguing that 1995 election was fair and free ?!

And you justify his argument by questioning SS role in 1995 ?

And yes, looking at current "long memory' of some activists, I can presume a new democratic comeback of RK after 10 years. However its not gonna happen, since the difference between LTP and RK is that LTP has established a clan based party, while RK [and SS] have clientèle political culture.

Its realy fascinating how you can draw family line in HHSH core team, and now their offsprings act like "independen democratic freedom fighters". Ask young activists who are/were their parents in relation to HHSH and you will understand that HHSH clan demolishes even youth activity in Armenia.

Anonymous said...

HHSh created this mess, and it continues. Distractions and fictitious opposition like the current reincarnation of the the old and failed hacks from 17 years ago prevent political evolution in Armenia.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

--HHSH was /is/ so clan-centric that didn't even bother to tell his member [be it Ashot Manukyan or else] that the particular place belongs to other non-hhsh member [usually such deals were with communists]
--

This is some fantastic argument...

Anonymous said...

nazarian, its not fantastic. HHSH wanted to imitate democracy, and it was 1999 when VS told, why to continue this imitate game, we need all spots and VS was allied by KD by then. And now KD's son, VS brother joined with LTP are fighting against their former servants and allies RK and SS.

I would really support LTP if he stands and says, "I confess on establishing a political culture [based on Soviet one] which ruined any hope for future generations of Armenia. Let Armenian people and the God forgive me for all this mess"

PS
HHSH was pan-Armenian movement, and that's why HHSH had naive members and core-clan. It was similar to communist party, when higher hierarchy gets all but others nothing. HHSH was a micromodel of what is Armenia now, go and compare Ter qahana Husik with Ashot Manukyan back on 1990s. btw the first "revolt" against rich was against Husik when someone pulled grenade on his newly constructed summerhouse [and people were really poor and hungry back then].

Ինչ ցանես, այն էլ կհնձես. Բավ է

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

anonymous, I would like to know how you have acquired such precious insights. Were you a part of the government during those years or an avid reader of Yerkir?

Anonymous said...

nazarian, I've seen enough in my life. and that's why I call for enough. Armenia needs new political culture, but to reach this goal we need new thinking.

And which part of my insights intersted you? That 1995 election was not fair, that VS joined with KD and decided to 'take all' in 1999, that ter-Husik qahana's appartment was 5 floor in 1995, or that his to be summerhouse was blown up?

I don't know why I continue beating a dead horse: we have political generation which is unable to change life in Armenia, they belong to the same political culture which is a result of what we have now. which part of this message doesn't satisfy you?

PS
Zharangutyun has a tiny chance to change political culture in Armenia, while LTP+SS have a big stick to demolish this chance.

Anonymous said...

Another major reason why LTP will never lead anything popular in Armenia.

He is not only hated by the population, but a step backwards from what exists now.

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

anonymous at 4:21pm. I don't know why you continue beating the same dead horse either. The original post had nothing to do with what (I presume) you initiated in the comments diverting the focus from Shavarsh Kocharian's appointment and the unlawful way it was done.

It's a well known propaganda trick but this is an open forum to express ideas that's why such behavior is tolerated.

Anonymous said...

nazaraian, the tread started from this comment

"nazarian: The only clean elections were from 1991 through 1995."

so, if you want to accuse a person who initiated this discussion in comments, ask nazarian
cheers

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

I see your point (even if Ter Housik's apartment has nothing to do with the elections).