January 24, 2007

Heritage Examines Correlation between Electoral Processes
and Political Manhunts

Yerevan— In the lead-up to the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the Heritage Party today
convened a roundtable entitled “The Pre-Election Process and Political Surveillance in Armenia .” The meeting brought together political and human rights associations, analysts, social activists, and media representatives.

Chairman Vardan Khachatrian of Heritage’s executive board welcomed the audience with opening remarks. “Even a passing comparison with the situation prior to the previous elections shows fundamental differences with respect to the growing repression by the authorities against their political adversaries. These repressions are geared primarily toward the reproduction of the incumbent rulers,” he said.

In his intervention, director Armen Aghayan of the “Defense of Liberated Territories” public initiative spoke about the political stakeouts and other forms of persecution being carried out throughout the republic under the pretext of upholding the law. He drew a parallel between these manhunts and the recent arrests of Zhirair Sefilian and Vardan Malkahsian-devoted soldiers of Artsakh’s quest for liberty and self-defense. In Aghayan’s view, these arrests are the logical outcome of the pre-election battle in Armenia. “The main concern for the authorities is not the harsh criticism against them, nor the ‘risk’ of changing the constitutional order by force,” he said, adding that the current regime instead fears the unwavering resolve of the freedom fighters not to allow fraud and falsification during the upcoming elections. In Aghayan’s words, a special plot is now in action which aims to cut off from the electoral process, by way of trumped-up charges, those who are ready to fight for the conduct of free and fair elections; it is up to everyone to wage a citizen’s resistance against this conspiracy.

During his talk, MP and chairman of the National Democrats’ Alliance Arshak Sadoyan likewise reflected upon the idea of combined action. According to Sadoyan, this is the most recent in a long line of attempts by the current rulers to divert, by means of marked acts of repression before important events, the attention of civic and political forces from the main objective: to stand against the reproduction of the incumbent regime. Sadoyan then pointed out the numerous loopholes existing in the new electoral code which provide a wide range of opportunities for those in power to resort to fraud. “A make-believe election is being prepared, and the only way to reverse this malicious process is by joining together,” he maintained, underscoring the need to effect a system of across-the-board oversight in this respect. Sadoyan also put an emphasis on training proxies and public observers through the joint efforts of democratic groups, NGOs, and civil society.

The remainder of the session was devoted to exchanges of views and recommendations among the public figures and policy specialists in attendance. Noteworthy were contributions by chairman Avetik Ishkhanian of the Armenian Helsinki Committee; Artak Zeinalian of the Republic Party; defense attorney Zaruhi Postanjian; chairman Ruben Torosian of the Human Rights 96 Party; human rights advocates Vardan Harutiunian and Gayane Markosian; Armenia’s first Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian; Samvel Harutiunian of the Armenian Volunteer Corps; and several others.

Those present also took note of the fact that Sefilian, Malkhasian, as well as Arman Babajanian of the Zhamanak Yerevan daily are being pursued for their political convictions, and recommended that Article 301—a striking numerical coincidence—which clearly curtails the freedom of speech, be removed from the Criminal Code.

The roundtable participants also considered the public petition concerning pre-election repressions in Armenia , which has already been signed by thousands of citizens and a number of human rights associations. The declaration, which will be made public soon, condemns in particular the shameful official campaign against-and surveillance of-the Heritage Party and its founder Raffi K. Hovannisian, photojournalist Gagik Shamshian, Arman Babajanian, Zhirair Sefilian, and Vardan Malkhasian.