Levon Ter-Petrossian's Speech at the September 18, 2009 Public Rally. Part 1

Dear Compatriots,

It's been two and a half months to the day since the Armenian National Congress last summoned a public rally. During that time there has been almost no positive change in the country. It is difficult to point out any domestic or foreign policy field, which registered at least some success, not to mention tangible progress. Just the contrary, we now witness the all-around spread of vicious phenomena typical for the cleptocratic regime, with the state totally criminalized and the problems it faces becoming insurmountable.

Economy

What is happening in the economic field is common knowledge. Despite huge international loans received by Armenia and the government's anti-crisis measures our economy continues to collapse, even more rapidly than before. The most telling proof of this collapse is the dynamics of the economic downturn viewed in comparison with the same time period of the last year, which is 9.3% for January-April, 15.7% for January-May, 16.3% for January-June and 18.5% for January-July correspondingly. Add to this the decline of foreign trade, especially the continuous decrease of exports, the ongoing outflow of the capital, and the incessant decrease of foreign investment and tax revenues, and there will be no other parameter left to assess the state of Armenia's economy.

What, if not these macroeconomic indicators, could better reflect the effectiveness of the government's anti-crisis measures and the adequacy of the received international loans? Yet there is virtually nothing to reflect. This means that either the government's anti-crisis measures are inadequate, or international loans and financial resources are mismanaged, or simply embezzled. It is obvious that only a tiny portion, if any at all, of those resources finds its way to manufacturers, small and medium businesses and agriculture, the support of which is central for any hope of rehabilitation and development of the country's economy. Small and medium size business owners suffered the most as on the one hand they are subjected to merciless arbitrariness of tax administrators and on the other hand, because of the high interest rate they are deprived of any possibility to take loans. To crown it all, they are smothered in an unfair competition with monopolistic companies which are endowed with illegal custom privileges. If emergency measures are not taken, there will be virtually no small and medium businesses left in one year and the country's entire economy will end up in the hands of monopolists, to be more precise, in the hands of the criminal oligarchic system.

In addition to the crisis becoming more severe and the social conditions aggravating the people will feel the extra burden of the raised gas and energy prices in the coming winter. Therefore, in the present situation there is no other way of evaluating the government's activity than it being unprofessional, or criminal, or absolutely miserable. It is noteworthy that we are not speaking about particular individuals here, because even if certain officials are replaced, the situation will remain as it is. There could not be a government of a better quality or a different type within the cleptocratic system created by Kocharyan and Sargsyan. There was no essential difference between the cabinets headed by Andranik Markarian, Serge Sargsyan or Tigran Sarkissian. If Serge Sargsyan continues to occupy the presidential office, the next government will be no different either. Thus it is senseless to cherish any illusions and try to condition the improvement of the situation by a potential change of the prime-minister and his cabinet. Conversations about such a change became more frequent. One cannot rule it out, of course, as at some point Serge Sargsyan will need a scapegoat. But there will be nothing to be happy about if it happens, because as I said, it will make no difference.

It might create an impression that I am laying it thick when I speak about the economic situation in Armenia. But let me assure you that the reality is even gloomier than I describe. It is no accident that according to the public opinion poll conducted by A1+agency, the 83% of the respondents do not approve of the activities of the government, while 58% of the respondents are willing to emigrate. I neither intend to sound apocalyptic nor do I try to sow the seeds of disillusionment. Yet I can't hide the truth, because it will go against my personal and Armenian National Congress's principles. Our only weapon is the truth otherwise the people would not have followed us for the last two years. Any deviation from this path will be inexcusable and the people will turn their backs on us. Besides being moral, the truth is also a political category, because it cannot fail to prevail eventually.

Democracy and Law

Democracy and law in our country remain in even more miserable state than the economic situation, simply because they, as distinct from economy, are left to the mercy of the authorities and depend on their will only. It is the authorities, not the objective circumstances, who are responsible for the decision that there shall be no free and fair elections in Armenia, that there shall be no opposition in the country, that alternative opinions shall be banned from finding their way to electronic media, that no one shall venture to participate in public rallies, marches and acts of protest; that those who refuse to play by these rules or stand against them shall be subjected to police and tax terror, shall lose their jobs or find themselves in a prison cell; whereas the real criminals-the support base of the Cleptocracy, corrupt officials, tax evading monopolists, the armed gangs at the service of government officials and oligarchs, the murderers and hooligans will not be held responsible and brought to justice, which is proved by a regular cover-up of almost all noisy assassinations, robbery and vendettas inside the regime.

So much was written and said about this, that it would not be worth digging any further. However, I cannot avoid speaking about the following two concrete facts, which are essential to the moral- psychological atmosphere of the country, and, as such, are of paramount political importance.

1. 19 of Armenia's worthiest sons continue to remain in jail. The charges against them are fabricated. These are the same charges by which the rest of the political prisoners were convicted and then released in amnesty. Why is it that some of the defendants with the same indictment have been granted amnesty while others have been not? I singled out one of the reasons behind it in my speech at the last public rally, -Serge Sargsyan's revengefulness, if not sadism, an obsession with the pain he causes and the pleasure he enjoys from executing power, inability to do a generous act.

And while this reason speaks of a miserable human character, especially when it comes to a statesman, the other one is even more cunning and treacherous from the political point of view. 19 people are held hostage to curb the popular protests against the pending Karabakh conflict resolution. It seems to the regime, that if these people continue to be jailed, the rest will think twice before participating in the acts of protest. It goes without saying that this is a vain hope, because even when there were many more political prisoners, the people were not scared and during the last year and a half never left the front line of our struggle.

It is crystal clear, that not until is the last political prisoner set free this issue will remain one of the top priority concerns for the Nation-Wide Movement and the Armenian National Congress. The immediate release of all political prisoners is in the interests of our society, of the state and of Karabakh, especially because many of them are participants and heroes of the Karabakh liberation war. Therefore, the regime's intention to delay the release is not only counterproductive, but also politically short-sighted and dangerous, if not treacherous.

2. A complete disclosure of the March 1 outrage that will allow bringing the real perpetrators to justice is another painful, yet unresolved problem. One should not cherish illusions here, as in the teeth of the public demands and international community pressures, just like the October 27 assassinations, this crime will never be disclosed and the real perpetrators will not be held responsible as long as this regime is in office. It does not take a genius to prove it because for a year and a half in broad day light Armenia's Police, the National Security Agency, the Special Investigation Service, the Prosecutor's Office and the courts have been cynically covering up the crimes, misleading the process of investigation, terrorizing or bribing the witnesses, destroying or counterfeiting the evidence.

However, whatever they resort to, this criminal forgery mechanism will never avoid the necessity of giving answers to the following concrete questions: who were behind the killings, were they brought to justice and what punishment was in store for them? While by bringing to trial the immediate perpetrators of the Oct.27 outrage the regime managed to temporarily avoid direct responsibility, it would be much harder, almost impossible to disassociate itself from the March 1 killings. That is why I think, as far as the killings are concerned, the regime will eventually bring to trial a couple of low-ranking policemen, and will consider the case closed. I don't know whether this will satisfy the international community. What I have no doubt about, is that the Armenian public at large will never be fooled by that.

In any case, the Armenian National Congress has enough resolve and determination both to comprehensively disclose the circumstances of the March 1 outrage, and bring the provocateurs, organizers and killers-all, that had their finger in this crime, to justice using adequate legal responsibility mechanisms, even if we have to appeal to the ICC in the Hague. The Armenian National Congress and the Heritage party cooperating within the framework of the Fact Finding Group have already come up with stunning and undeniable proofs and revelations. The report on the findings of the FFG will soon be complete and the entire picture of the March 1 heinous outrage will become clear for each and every person who has the ability to think. Let Robert Kocharyan and Serge Sargsyan have no illusions that they can ever digest the March 1.

Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turning to the challenges of Armenia's foreign relations, it would be natural to focus on the issues of Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh conflict settlement. Everything is crystal clear as far as Armenian-Turkish relations are concerned. Having obtained Serge Sargsyan's consent to establish Armenian-Turkish commission of historians, Turkey succeeded to smartly avert the danger of the genocide recognition by the US and to delay the opening of the border until the Karabakh problem has been settled , or at least, until some tangible progress has been registered in the conflict resolution process. It follows that until the Karabakh problem has been settled Armenia has nothing to expect in its relations with Turkey, and is doomed to play no other role than that of a common bystander.

Today, the main question discussed in our country is whether within the framework of soccer diplomacy Serge Sargsyan will or will not visit Turkey, as if there is nothing more important to talk about or his decision to go or not to go could change anything. Levon Zurabian and Ashot Sarkissian speaking on behalf of the Armenian National Congress have already given comprehensive answer to this question, which I deem necessary to repeat with some amendments to the wider circles of people gathered at today's public rally. The issue of Serge Sargsyan's going or not going to Turkey has now become senseless, since he has already made each and every possible mistake in the field of Armenian-Turkish relations, especially by calling into question the very fact of the Genocide and by making it a bargaining chip. Therefore, his going or not going will not change anything as things are now beyond repair.

As you know, recently Serge Sargsyan has stated categorically that not until has the border been opened he would pay a visit to Turkey. This ultimatum-like statement exposes two realities. First, Turkey promised Serge Sargsyan to open its border in exchange for the signing of the so called "roadmap" on April 22, 2009. And, second, Sargsyan feels insulted and cheated by the Turks for not keeping the promise. However, this statement cannot be considered an ultimatum, as in the same text Sargsyan reckoned it necessary to add that he would still go to Turkey provided there were positive signs that the border is about to be opened. Having made this amendment, by omission or by commission, he admits that he has already made the decision to go, because the notion of about to be is so vague that it can have countless interpretations.

But this is not what is essential. The essential is why Serge Sargsyan feels insulted by the Turks. Let's ask him directly: is it because you were bamboozled? Then why would you let it happen? Is it not clear, that if not in human relations, but in politics, no matter how wrong it is morally, the cheated and not the cheaters are to blame? Therefore, if you were cheated you have to be angry first and foremost with yourself. Or, if Turkey really broke its promises, have courage to speak about it openly and make necessary corrections in your policy. But these are just rhetorical questions and appeals, because against all odds Serge Sargsyan will have to go to Turkey, whether he wants to or not, as, firstly, he will not be given any alternative and, secondly, he cannot abort the soccer diplomacy, because he was the one who initiated it. However, if by any chance he decides not to go, which is hardly possible, he would do greater damage to our country and find himself in even more humiliating and ridiculous situation. As for the Armenian-Turkish protocols made public on August 31, today I will not go any further than the official evaluation of the Armenian National Congress which you are familiar with, not ruling out a possibility of analyzing them in greater detail on some other occasion.

At this point I consider it necessary only to emphasize the following. Even in exchange for Serge Sargsyan sacrificing the genocide, Turkey is not going to ratify those protocols and is not going to open the border unless the Karabakh conflict is resolved. As regards certain complaints regarding the statement of the Congress, I am forced to remind everybody that everything the other political forces are shouting about today, we have sounded the alarm about several times for two years but no one have paid attention to our alarms. We have spoken our words in time and not waited to be presented with the fait accompli of the resolution like the others. Who needs this belated hysteria when it is almost impossible to influence the process? I am gravely concerned that, contrary to the warnings of the Congress, the same thing is going to happen with Karabakh: one day they will wake up and see that everything is signed and over, then they are going to become hysterical.

Read Part 2 of the Speech

18 September 2009