BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
In what amounted to a pot calling the kettle black scenario, President Serzh Sarkisian on Thursday night lashed out at one of his one-time close political allies, the head of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukian.
Speaking at his Republican Party of Armenia Council meeting, Sarkisian used unusually harsh words to describe Tsarukian–also known as “Doddy Gago”—often referring to him as “stupid” and “a detriment to Armenian society.”
The president also fired Tsarukian from Armenia’s National Security Council; called on his party members, who comprise the majority in parliament, to launch an investigation into Tsarukian’s absence from National Assembly sessions (according to Sarkisian of the 145 parliamentary sessions, Tsarukian has been present to only four); tasked the prime minister to launch inquiries into Tsarukian’s financial dealings and alleged evading of “billions” in taxes; and tasked the judicial structures to begin probes into alleged criminal conduct by Tsarukian, which he said have been “common knowledge” in Armenia.
The growing wedge between the two one-time allies widened earlier this week when a member of Tsarukian’s Prosperous Party of Armenia was severely beaten, kidnapped and then dumped on a street near his residence. The beating of PAP parliament member Artak Khachatrian prompted Tsarukian and other prominent PAP members, including former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian, who is a PAP member of parliament, to turn up the volume on their criticism of the current regime.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Prosperous Armenia Party condemned the attack on Khachatrian, saying that it was politically motivated and was a form of intimation by the regime directed at forces who were challenging the Sarkisian administration.
“We believe that the country’s supreme political leadership is primarily to blame for the atmosphere of hooliganism and lawlessness,” the party said in a statement.
Last Thursday, during a conference of non-ruling parties convened at his initiative, Tsarukian said: “with the help of a nationwide movement gaining strength with every passing day we will force the authorities to feel responsibility for the current situation and replace the current regime in the next elections.”
In his remarks Thursday night, Sarkisian referred to Tsarukian-initiated rallies and events as a “circus,” saying that the PAP leader probably did not understand the meaning of the words that he was reading.
Sarkisian’s speech was uncharacteristic of a leader of a country, both in its tenor and the vernacular used to attack. In conclusion, the president clarified that “my entire speech was about a political or rather a pseudo-political phenomenon called Gagik Tsarukian.”
In explaining his decision to relieve Tsarukian of his seat in the NSC, Sarkisian said: “The supreme security body of the country is not a movie theater, where one come and go as they please,” adding that Tsarukian’s consistent absence from National Assembly sessions was an affront to his constituents who had entrusted him with that responsibility.
A significant portion of Sarkisian’s remarks focused on the pending reforms to Armenia’s Constitution, which opposition forces, including Tsarukian contend are being advanced by the regime and the ruling party to ensure their continued rule over Armenia.
(The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia has opted to support the Constitutional reforms process, by presenting its own amendments and position, thus distancing itself from other political forces that oppose the reforms process).
The president’s full-throttle attack on Tsarukian, the leader of the second largest political party in Armenia, comes at a tenuous time for Armenia, which is reeling from a violent outburst by law enforcement personnel on a convoy of opposition members who were headed to Karabakh late last month.
In his remarks, however, Sarkisian did not address the upsurge in beatings of political activists, which seem to have become commonplace in Armenia, nor did he address mechanisms through which his administration would deal with the blatant disregard for rule of law.
In a rather surprising turn, the president said a mea culpa, bearing all responsibility for containing past criticism of Tsarukian and urging his backers to refrain from verbal attacks against the PAP leader, saying that he was demonstrating restrain toward the leader of the second largest political party in Armenia.
Apparently the cup runneth over for Sarkisian. Or, perhaps, by lashing out at Tsarukian he was challenging other political forces to fall in line.
It seems the ARF has become confused as to where it stands. In this article, President Sargisyan is criticized and his party is critisized while at the same time the author places a disclaimer in parenthesis that stated that the Republican Party reforms are supported by the ARF albeit an ARF version of said reforms. This type of wishy washy flip flopping antics by the ARF for the past 25 years inside Armenia is what has led the party into obscurity and non relevance with only a handful of seats in parliament. There is no definitive stance by the ARF, it stands in the middle always to save face for whoever is in power.
“Vortex hatz eintex garz” for ARFers these days, just remember, “those that stand in the middle of the road get run over”. . .
Exactly right. it’s an understatement though.
I am surprised at you Ara, really you are defending tsarukyan, Oskanian! Just like Artak khachatryan, Raffi Hovhannissian, needs a beating and hopefully they will dump his body in the city dump Where he belongs. The likes of jirair Sefilian and the 30 thugs hired from Langley who also were regulated for vowing to replace the government of Armenia by April 24, 2015.
I have no sympathy for any of these anti Sargsyan thugs and criminals.
Imagine a member of parliament has only participated in 4 meetings out of 145. Fees him to the animals in his private zoo where he enjoyed watching his opponents maimed by his “pets” we’ll feed that fat thug to his animals and let us watch.
You must control your killer instincts.
Tsarukian must have really cut into Sarkisian’s profits. Mafiosi usually can’t tolerate disrespect very well. It’s one of the cardinal rules that should never be violated.
The position of the President of Armenia is one of the most difficult positions in the world given Armenia’s geopolitical, military, and economic challenges. Over the last two decades, Armenia has had a great tradition of promoting seasoned people for the Presidency advancing from either the Defense Minister or Prime Minister positions. Gagik Tsarukian is not fit for Armenia’s presidency. President Sarkisian, whether we agree with his policies or not, is absolutely correct, Tsarukian would be disastrous for Armenia if he was ever elected.
yap, very true.
I Agree with you.
Who needs the turks when armenians treat eachother this way the turks can just leave us to destroy ourselves
Oppositions groups in politics is normal and every country has them.
I hope Armenians will come out smarter
Amal Clooney 4 President!
So true Danny jan! I do like her eyes. Dan we went to school together. It’s me Armando from St Francis!
This was very expected. Over a long period of time Serzh Sarkisyan created a monolithic party-government system just like in the former USSR. Now he is going to make a last decisive step towards turning Armenia in a soviet style “respublika”. He will adopt a parliamentary soviet system and become a monstrous “GENERALNI SEKRETAR PARTII”!!! Thus, he is going to put the last nail in the Armenia’s coffin.
It seems that Sergik do everything that the russians will be able to place their troops in Karabakh. NICE!!!
As a collective, Armenians are utterly unfit for independence, let along partaking in what’s known as “nation building.” In short: Armenians are too materialistic, too emotional, too clannish, too arrogant, too restless, too unruly and too clever/smart for Armenia’s good. The only way to keep Armenians from destroying Armenia is to turn the country into a military dictatorship or simply hand over the keys to the country over to the Russian Federation and allow the burdens of state to be handled by Russians…
Nor Pari Looys Baron Sarkisian!