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After the Rain: Armenia Faces
Challenges in a New Era
By Christian Garbis
 YEREVAN (A.W.)—The streets are bustling with activity in
Armenia’s capital. Road construction projects are partially
paralyzing the city once again after a two-month break. The
economy on the surface appears to be booming, with the
exchange rate holding steady at 305 dram to the dollar. Yet
Armenia finds itself at a socio-political crossroads, the
first of its kind since the nation declared independence
from the Soviet Union. The country is still spiritually
reeling from the crisis of events that crippled the nation
for nearly one month.
Throughout March and well into April, the arrests of
oppositionists and even those suspected of having
connections to opposition supporters persisted. Scores of
people remain jailed amid sharp criticism from the Council
of Europe and strong concern expressed by the United States.
Aram Sargsyan, former prime minister and brother to slain
Vazgen Sargsyan, who is one of the key players in the
opposition movement, was formally accused by the authorities
of conspiring against the state, although like People’s
Party leader Stephan Demirchian, he has not been arrested.
At least 100 people are being detained as political
prisoners. The crackdowns are viewed by Western nations as
being a blow to democracy in Armenia.
International monitoring organizations such as the Council
of Europe have expressed serious concerns about the mass
political arrests. On March 31, the organization called for
an independent investigation regarding the events of March 1
and for all political prisoners to be released. Human Rights
Watch along with the Council of Europe called for the
Armenian government to toss out its ban on public
assemblies.
On April 2, about three dozen jailed opposition figures
organized a hunger strike, among them former foreign
minister Alexander Arzumanian. The protest began to fade as
the health of some of the detainees declined drastically. On
April 9, opposition leader and former president Levon
Ter-Petrossian called for the hunger strike to end so that
activists could prepare for renewed protest movements in the
future. Meanwhile, Ter-Petrossian curiously remains under
house arrest despite the fact that nearly all of those
closest to him politically, notably Pan-Armenian National
Movement party members, have been jailed.
The country’s new era ushers in a change of leadership.
Former Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian was sworn
into office as president on April 9. Just one day before his
inauguration, he announced that he would appoint Central
Bank of Armenia Chairman Tigran Sargysan—who bears no
relation—as prime minister.
Both Serge Sarkisian and former President Robert Kocharian
worked hand-in-hand in setting policies and procedures
behind the scenes during Kocharian’s service as country
leader, and there is concern that the mechanisms put into
place by the two political giants will only gain momentum
under Sarkisian’s reign.
Tigran Sarkisian’s appointment was well received by the
coalition members. He is perceived as a neutral player on
the political scene as he holds no allegiance to any
political party. Both Armen Rustamian of the
ARF-Dasknaktsutiun and Arthur Baghdasarian of Orinats Yerkir
made public statements acknowledging that Sarkisian was the
best man suited for forming a new government, citing his
long experience as an official responsible for managing the
financial sector.
Although four leading political parties—Orinats Yerkir, ARF-D,
Prosperous Armenia, and the Republicans—agreed to join
forces in a pro-government coalition, they have not yet come
to an agreement over how they will share ministerial posts.
Yet each party anticipates retaining control of the ministry
seats they had been appointed during the Kocharian
administration.
Critics of Tigran Sarkisian’s appointment claim that
President Sarkisian did not even consult his own party
before making his choice, thereby snubbing some senior
Republican members. The prime minister of Armenia must form
his government within 20 days after having taken office.
Nevertheless, two key positions were filled by President
Sarkisian on April 9. Eduard Nalbandian, who served as the
Armenian Ambassador to France, was appointed foreign
minister, replacing outgoing Vartan Oskanian. Also,
colonel-general Seyran Ohanian, a veteran of the
Nagorno-Karabakh war, was designated as the new minister of
defense.
Since the end of the state of emergency, mass public
meetings have been restricted and police presence, although
fairly light, is still evident in places where crowds tend
to gather, notably in Liberty Square, which circles the
Opera House in downtown Yerevan. Despite the restrictions,
clumps of people can be seen loitering along the Northern
Boulevard across from the Opera House playing chess or
eating fast food in alternative forms of protest. On Monday,
the wives and relatives of oppositionist political prisoners
held a demonstration demanding their husbands’ release in
front of the French embassy, which is situated on the site
of the March 1 clashes. No one was arrested. The group of
spouses signed a declaration in March calling for the
activists to be freed from jail.
Freedom of speech is not only repressed among free-thinking
citizens, but broadcast waves are also being blocked. Last
autumn, GALA TV of Gyumri broadcasted a recorded speech made
by Ter-Petrossian during which he harshly criticized the
Armenian government. Since then, the authorities have been
scrambling to find ways to shut down the station legally.
Last month, the station held a telethon to raise
approximately $87,000 that it supposedly owed in fines for
unpaid taxes; the amount was paid in full. Pensioners were
even said to have donated 5,000 dram ($16) from their meager
monthly stipends to the cause. Now GALA TV is being forced
to find a new broadcast tower for its transmitter as
Gyumri’s City Hall is suddenly claiming ownership of the one
the station presently uses, purportedly illegally.
An unspoken, persistent resentment is still in the air six
weeks after the events of March 1, which claimed 10 lives to
date. Although people carry on as if they are fully
confident in their new leader, they have no choice but to
exhibit that sense of confidence, whether or not it is
sincere. In today’s Armenian society, dissent is not to be
tolerated on any plane of criticism.
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