According to Vahan Shirkhanian, current opposition of
Armenia unable to achieve special election
16-11-2009 18:14:00 | Armenia | Politics
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Social Democrat
Hunchak Party (SDHP) is against any relations with Turkey until
this country recognizes the Armenian Genocide and starts paying
compensation. Member of the SDHP Central Board Vahan Shirkhanian
once again voiced this position of their party at the November
16 press conference.
In his words, the authorities are trying to show that
Armenia would benefit from the border's opening. "It is not
true. Armenia will not develop in case of opening the border
because today Armenia invests 270 million euros in Turkey,
whereas Turkey invests only 1 million 700 thousand euros in
Armenia, and this proportion will remain the same if the border
opens. We will not receive any economic benefit," V.
Shirkhanian declared, adding goods will continue to be imported
from Istanbul, and not from Kars. According to him, the people
is still unable to influence the policy conducted by the
authorities, but if the developments "become obviously harmful
to Armenia, the people will rise," V. Shirkhanian stated.
In his words, "if on September 1-2 the opposition had made
a call and had taken the people to the streets and kept them
there for a few days, the protocols would not have been signed
and it would have been possible to achieve a special election".
While considering the ARF's street public events as a corrent
move, V. Shirkhanian, however, expressed an opinion that the
ARF does not have the status of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC). At the same time, V. Shirkhanian believes that the
current opposition is unable to achieve a special election. But
if the people see a real threat to the country, they will form
a new opposition which will carry out a power shift.
V. Shirkhanian noted that although the views of SDHP do not
coincide with those of ANC, he does not consider it necessary to
leave ANC, because "the restoration of the constitutional order
remains a task".
Vardan Khachatrian - a deputy of the National Assembly,
former member of Heritage party, presently a member of the SDHP
Political Board - made the possibility of a special election
conditional upon the development of Armenian-Turkish and
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, also upon international
pressure. He expressed conviction that if the tension grows,
some unpredictable developments may occur in society, and
neither a special election nor a power shift can be ruled out.