These Are the Non-negotiable Demands of the Armenian People Regardless of Election Outcomes

Demand Two

The indisputable status of freedom of speech and human rights, and the meticulous implementation of democratic principles at the international level must be established in the internal life of Armenia.

Eight years ago, when today’s regime was formed under the name of the Velvet Revolution, it enjoyed popular sympathy for a time, because it promised the people of Armenia to meticulously implement those very principles. Today, eight years later, the situation has not only returned to some of the ugliness of the previous period, but also, what is more, now the shameless, sick and brutal practice of trampling on the centuries-old sanctities of the Armenian people prevails.

Moreover, the people are subjected every day to the disgusting practice of the arbitrary and capricious implementation of justice and the legal order.

It has become a common occurrence for the authorities, at their own whim, to “arrest” any individual or group they find displeasing, to hold them in custody for months, then release them, and then “arrest” them again, in an incredibly arbitrary manner.

High-ranking church clergy, respected businessmen with their exceptional philanthropy, or young citizens who boldly express their opinions, are subjected to this rude, uncivilized, unacceptable treatment every day.

It is demanded of the newly elected authorities to immediately stop this clearly dictatorial, practice and release all such “detainees.”

Demand Three

Reestablish respect and reverence for all the spiritual and national sanctities of the Armenian people. Here, the following most important points should be remembered with particular importance.

1. It is demanded that full respect for the centuries-old Armenian Apostolic Church be restored. The newly elected authorities must immediately stop the illegal attitude adopted by the current authorities for some time now towards the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin and the Catholicos of All Armenians.

It is unacceptable for the authorities to interfere in any way in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This indisputable practice, established constitutionally and by the power of our centuries-old traditions, must be immediately adopted by the new authorities.

2. No legitimate Armenian regime can withdraw from the duty of championing the demands connected to the genocide. The claims of the Armenian Genocide are an unnegotiable and unchangeable obligation for the authorities of any and all periods representing Armenian statehood.

3. Eternal Mount Ararat is an unchangeable and unnegotiable historical symbol of Armenia and the Armenian people. Making its spiritual belonging to the Armenian world an object of negotiation is simply a shameful act. Ararat must be returned to its place of honor in national symbols and hearts.

4. “Artsakh is ours” said the Armenian people for thirty years on their political, literary, educational and all other platforms. It is a manifestation of incredible wretchedness to call into question this reality recorded in our centuries-old history.

Notwithstanding our current unfortunate weakness in self-defense, historical realities cannot be put up for sale. Surrender is never a solution… it is demanded of the newly elected authorities to be realistic but never betray our history.

Demand 4 – The Final One

Our last demand from the newly elected authorities, which also represents the indisputable assurance of realization for all the previous other ones, is the restoration of effective and modern means of self-defense of Armenia, as the first among the priorities.

First, let us emphasize that Armenia has all the required means to bring its military capability in terms of self-defense to the highest modern level. Having written about this in detail many times, we find it unnecessary to present here once again the argumentation confirming this reality with objectively substantiated data.

It is necessary to resolutely repeat that without ensuring self-defense at the highest level, the implementation of all the other just demands we mentioned above will remain an idealistic romantic dream.

For Aliyev, our Armenia is still his Western Azerbaijan. And for the European Union or Trump’s America, our centuries-old homeland, dear to us, is just a passing interest and easily forgotten detail.

Conclusion

We must conclude by clearly stating that a priori we do not want to approach the Armenian national elections with any particular sympathy or antipathy towards any candidate or political group.

However, it is an indisputable reality that the sympathy and support of the majority of the disinterested and fully aware Armenian people is directed to that candidate or group, singular or plural, that promises to strive by all means to ensure the implementation of the abovementioned nonnegotiable demands defined in this article.

By the way, we are closely following the substantive developments in the current intensifying election campaign. The popularity of the main groups, especially “Strong Armenia” led by Samvel Karapetyan, with a huge following, and the “Armenia Alliance” led by a sea of ​​thousands of torch bearing participants, is already obvious and impressive. They are also clearly in favor of the implementation of our above-mentioned “demands.”

Under these conditions, it is certainly desirable that in the other political groupings, and especially within the Civic Contract movement, large groups of followers of common-sense patriotism emerge, and all join their forces so that the newly elected authorities may enjoy the support of the entire Armenian people, including the entire diaspora.       

(The above editorial has been translated from the original Armenian published in Baikar weekly and the rest of the ADL coordinated press.)