Politics in Hayastan

[armnuke]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Raffi Hovannisian is an opportunist. He only spoke out when his interests were under threat!
He is a good advocate for justice for the Armenian genocide. He is not someone who has the ability to advance the welfare of ordinary people

Excellent advice from Ara Baliozian!

Ara Baliozian and his quotes. Makes me laugh everyday.

[lampron]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Ara Baliozian and his quotes. Makes me laugh everyday.

You may laugh if you wish, but ottomanism and sovietism (or slave mentality in general) are not things to be proud of

[Hakob]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

You can say the same thing about officials who fly to Russia every time the xxxx hits the fan.

Right now if US or west have 5% influence on Armenia's politicians and internal affairs, Russia has 85%. The remaining 10% that is supposed to be "independent" is just questionable.
There is not a single political initiative, action or conduct that even the most independent people do without some fear or worry of what Moscow will respond with.
I guarantee this is not just slavementality. It is the result of still having soviet influence.
Remember the one huge country of brotherly nations? Everyone outside of Armenia (many insiders too) speaking only Russian. Every contact, official, cultural road leading to Moscow. Everyone streaming, dreaming finding the ultimate in the center, Moscow.
Most of former Soviet people and most of children of theirs still are Moscowites. So to speak.
They copy what is happening in Russia.
Most even do not realise how deep. Unintentionally.
For us leaving in west its even worse, being westernised by mentality.
I think Ara Baliozian is right on.
At least Armenians in general have to realise it, before trying to do something public.
Stop fearing or admiring the Russians or westerners more than it is due. Maybe then we will not look for support from them as much as to our selfs.
We have to stop using the term slave mentality and replace it with something else that can be used and understood without hurt feelings and help in addressing this issues.
Without insulting one another.

[lampron]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Right now if US or west have 5% influence on Armenia's politicians and internal affairs, Russia has 85%. The remaining 10% that is supposed to be "independent" is just questionable.
There is not a single political initiative, action or conduct that even the most independent people do without some fear or worry of what Moscow will respond with.
I guarantee this is not just slavementality. It is the result of still having soviet influence.
Remember the one huge country of brotherly nations? Everyone outside of Armenia (many insiders too) speaking only Russian. Every contact, official, cultural road leading to Moscow. Everyone streaming, dreaming finding the ultimate in the center, Moscow.
Most of former Soviet people and most of children of theirs still are Moscowites. So to speak.
They copy what is happening in Russia.
Most even do not realise how deep. Unintentionally.
For us leaving in west its even worse, being westernised by mentality.
I think Ara Baliozian is right on.
At least Armenians in general have to realise it, before trying to do something public.
Stop fearing or admiring the Russians or westerners more than it is due. Maybe then we will not look for support from them as much as to our selfs.
We have to stop using the term slave mentality and replace it with something else that can be used and understood without hurt feelings and help in addressing this issues.
Without insulting one another.

That's more or less correct - maybe currently the West has 15% influence, not 5%, maybe even higher counting the media channels

The problem is that nations that have spent centuries under the rule of foreign empires lose their faith in themselves. Maybe this description is better than 'slave mentality'

During the cold war, the Dashnak party essentially acted like a salesman for the West. Their job was to tell the Armenian public that the West was going to liberate Armenia

The Ramgavar party had similar ideas. This time telling people that liberating lands inside Turkey would be done with the help of the Soviet Union.

Both parties would 'sell' the respective world power they supported to the Armenian public. They didn't see themselves as being on the front line fighting for liberation.

In 1920 a French official in Cilicia told Armenian leaders that if they wanted an independent Armenian state in Cilicia, they would have to fight for it themselves. The French army wasn't going to do it

[armnuke]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Ex-PM Abrahamian Quits Ruling Party

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/28254833.html

[Haykakan]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Ex-PM Abrahamian Quits Ruling Party

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/28254833.html

Sounds like the formation of a fake opposition party to me. Same faces, same games, in different parties. So long as Armenia is crony capitalistic we should not expect any changes. The rule of law means something very different in that context as the law serves their interests. I wonder if Armenia could even survive the kinds of systemic changes that are needed as if such changes were going to happen.

[Hakob]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

Sounds like the formation of a fake opposition party to me. Same faces, same games, in different parties. So long as Armenia is crony capitalistic we should not expect any changes. The rule of law means something very different in that context as the law serves their interests. I wonder if Armenia could even survive the kinds of systemic changes that are needed as if such changes were going to happen.

Abrahamian is a pickled and seasoned Soviet burocrat to the bones.
Wherever he goes, expect same burocratic corruption from him.

[Haykakan]

Re: Politics in Hayastan

WikiLeaks: Hovik Abrahamian is regarded by outside observers andx many Armenians as an unpolished, poorly educated and parochialx figurex
Wednesday, January 25 2017 14:46
Tatevik Shahunyan

ArmInfo.x WikiLeaks hasxpublished another "information leak" about the political processes inxArmenia in 2009. x

The source says that while expressing admiration for the then Primex Minister Tigran Sargsian's intellect and commitment to badly neededx reform, on March 20, 2009, Armenian oligarch Mikhail Bagdasarov wasx scathing about Sargsian's performance as prime minister. "Inx Bagdasarov's view, Tigran Sargsian's ineffectiveness as primex minister has accelerated the political rise of Hovik Abrahamian, thex current Speaker of the National Assembly," Mr. Joseph Pennington,x Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan in 2007-10,x told the details to the US Department of State. xx

"When Armenia's power players oligarchs, politicians, ministers x have disagreements or want to get something done, he said, they nowx ignore the PM and come to Abrahamian. Bagdasarov claimed thatx Abrahamian won the loyalty and gratitude of members of parliamentx shortly after his appointment as Speaker by allowing all MPs to hirex a paid professional staffer a move that had been proposed to, andx rejected by, PM Sargsian. He noted that Abrahamian now orchestratesx the question-and-answer sessions the PM must hold in the Nationalx Assembly in a way that puts the PM in the most unfavorable lightx possible, openly encouraging MPs to criticize and even ridicule x PM Sargsian. While Bagdasarov would not be drawn out on his own viewsx of Abrahamian, he warned that the Speaker "should not bex underestimated," the source notes.x

"He claimed that through his effective deal-making, behind-the-scenesx problem-solving, and image as an honest broker, Abrahamian had formedx a virtual "shadow government" within parliament, therebyx marginalizing the PM and other ministers. This task was made easier,x he contended, by the fact that most ministers in the GOAM arex "amateurs" who require "on-the-job training." He predicted thatx Abrahamian would become Armenia's next prime minister (though he didx not view the current PM's demise as imminent) and, ultimately, thex country's next President," WikiLeaks says.

The source also points out that "Bagdasarov argued that Abrahamian x who has served as a governor, a minister, and now as speaker hasx methodically built a national base of support, and has cleverlyx balanced his loyalties with former President Kocharian, his firstx patron, and current President Sargsian. He also revealed that throughx the upcoming marriage of his son, Abrahamian will become an in-law tox Prosperous Armenia leader and mega-oligarch Gagik Tsarukian, therebyx securing his ties to another major power player on the Armenianx political scene."x

"Abrahamian is regarded by outside observers and many Armenians x as an unpolished, poorly educated and parochial figure, a crassx nouveau riche whose brand of dirty-money politics, abuse of statex "administrative resources," and cunning opportunism is in the worstx tradition of recent Armenian politics.x Nevertheless, we agree withx Bagdasarov that he should not be underestimated," the sourcex stresses.x

To note, ArmInfo's sources in the ruling Republican Party of Armeniax report that Hovik Abrahamian has recently taken a decision to leavex the RPA following his meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitryx Medvedev in Moscow.x ArmInfo previously reported about that meeting,x citing its own sources. Abrahamian confirmed that information,x however, he noted that the meeting did not cover political issues.x Nevertheless, ArmInfo's sources in the RPA claim that it was Medvedevx that advised Abrahamian to leave the party after the ex-primex minister complained that his position in the RPA has seriouslyx weakened.x Medvedev advised Abrahamian to run in the upcomingx parliamentary elections as a member of the Gagik Tsarukyan bloc.x Onx returning to Armenia, Abrahamian met with some prominent RPAx representatives and tried to persuade them to leave the RPA and joinx the Gagik Tsarukyan bloc. The details of the talks are not clear,x however, Abrahamian himself has submitted a notice to leave the partyx and then met with Tsarukyan to discuss his inclusion in the Gagikx Tsarukyan bloc. The latter rejected Abrahamian's request, saying thatx the electorate will not welcome his in-law's inclusion in the bloc. x Tsarukyan reminded Abrahamian of his speech during the RPA Council'sx session in Feb 2015, when the ex- prime minister promised "to knockx some sense" into Tsarukyan's head. "How can I explain to people thatx the man threatening 'to knock some sense' into my head has beenx included in my bloc?" Tsarukyan replied. x x

- See more at: http://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id....OMoKKZjC.dpuf

[Mher]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Need rule of law and open borders for investments to pour in.

Hi all, it's been a few months since i've posted here

Anyway, some important changes have been implemented by the government recently.
the most corrupt ministers have been replaced by rather competent technocrats handpicked by Karapetyan.

most important of those being the replacement of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) head Gagik Katchatryan, one of the most wealthy, powerful, and corrupt individuals in this country. His replacement seems to be rather competent. An executive of Gazprom with a PhD. We'll see what they'll allow him to do, but he's already making some noise. The SRC control taxes and customs, the two most important keys, along with judiciary, to establishing better rule of law in our country. Gagik Beglaryan, the transport minister, and also a very corrupt individual was replaced. From a friend who works with the ministry of transportation, i've heard very good things about the new minister. Suren Katchatryan, aka Liska, was also removed from power in Syunik. And of course, Hovik Abrahamyan is gone, and now out of the ruling party. The new agriculture minister and the new health minister also seem to be very competent. The new Defense Minister also seems to have some good ideas. if he is in fact able to establish his israel like nation-army concept, much will change in armenia.

Karen Karapetyan seems to be very competent. He's extremely intelligent, well liked, and seems to have a very thorough understanding of economics. he also seems to have all of the right connections within the russian-armeinan elite and the russian leadership.


Now the question is whether all of this is an act, or whether after the election, they'll continue with all of this, and whether Serzh will walk away Feb 2018, and hand over power to Karapetyan with the power to make changes.

It's hard to know until that day arrives.

For the election my support is behind the union of Civil Contract and Lusavor Hayastan. I think the worse thing that can happen is a Tsarukyan/Oskanian victory.


p.s. it's shame that a lot of the other threads here dealing with different aspects have stopped being used.

[londontsi]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Hi all, it's been a few months since i've posted here

Anyway, some important changes have been implemented by the government recently.
the most corrupt ministers have been replaced by rather competent technocrats handpicked by Karapetyan.

most important of those being the replacement of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) head Gagik Katchatryan, one of the most wealthy, powerful, and corrupt individuals in this country. His replacement seems to be rather competent. An executive of Gazprom with a PhD. We'll see what they'll allow him to do, but he's already making some noise. The SRC control taxes and customs, the two most important keys, along with judiciary, to establishing better rule of law in our country. Gagik Beglaryan, the transport minister, and also a very corrupt individual was replaced. From a friend who works with the ministry of transportation, i've heard very good things about the new minister. Suren Katchatryan, aka Liska, was also removed from power in Syunik. And of course, Hovik Abrahamyan is gone, and now out of the ruling party. The new agriculture minister and the new health minister also seem to be very competent. The new Defense Minister also seems to have some good ideas. if he is in fact able to establish his israel like nation-army concept, much will change in armenia.

Karen Karapetyan seems to be very competent. He's extremely intelligent, well liked, and seems to have a very thorough understanding of economics. he also seems to have all of the right connections within the russian-armeinan elite and the russian leadership.


Now the question is whether all of this is an act, or whether after the election, they'll continue with all of this, and whether Serzh will walk away Feb 2018, and hand over power to Karapetyan with the power to make changes.

It's hard to know until that day arrives.

For the election my support is behind the union of Civil Contract and Lusavor Hayastan. I think the worse thing that can happen is a Tsarukyan/Oskanian victory.


p.s. it's shame that a lot of the other threads here dealing with different aspects have stopped being used.

Lets hope were are at a turning point for the better.

What is amazing is the appointment of the baker General to a more lucrative position to be able to line his pockets.
I hope similar axe is weighted in the military.
Agreed this is not Karen Karapetyan responsibility.

There was not a single individual within the ruling party to handle running of the government.
An outsider was able to come in and within months identify the bad apples and replace them.

What is the credibility of the ruling party.

What is the credibility of the untouchable President who wants to be re-elected.

It appears he wants to occupy his post without responsibility,
His specialty, making monumental and catastrophic strategic mistakes .... of course without any comeback.

.