YEREVAN—Thousands marched Monday to Armenia’s Constitutional Court during a demonstration organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, urging the high court to invalidate the documents.
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to begin hearings on the Armenia-Turkey protocols to rule whether they conform with the Armenian Constitution, before they are submitted to the National Assembly for ratification.
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The key contentions are the preconditions inherent within the documents, the approval of which will only benefit Turkey and severely curtail Armenia’s ability to push forward a national agenda based on national interests.
The ARF contends that the protocols, in their current format, would hinder the process of garnering international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, force Armenia into recognizing the current Armenia-Turkey borders and bind the resolution of the Karabakh conflict with the normalization process.
The demonstrators, bearing torches and the signs reading “No to the Protocols” marched to the Constitutional Court building, where they submitted a nine-page letter delineating their demands from the court.
Among the speakers were Chairman of the ARF Supreme Council of Armeina, Armen Rustamian, member of the ARF parliamentary bloc Hrair Karapetian, Armenian Deomcratic League (Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia) representative Harutyun Arakelyan and Chairman of the New Times Party Aram Karapetyan. The leaders of the Heritage Party attended the rally as well.
Rustamian explained that the main objective of the demonstration and the petition is to provide a way out of the protocols, saying that the Constitutional Court had the right to express its objections to the protocols.
He said that must recognize that the protocols, in their current state, veer from main points of the Armenian Constitution. He added, that if the Court did not heed the demonstrators’ call, then it will be up to the parliament to reject the protocols.
Chairman of the ARF’s parliamentary bloc and a Bureau member Vahan Hovanessian met with Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Harutunian late last month to discuss the hearings and present the party’s concern.
ARF must call for the resignation of Serge Sargisyan and the annulment of the protocols. The people of Armenia and the entire Diaspora are against these infamous Protocols that do not have an iota of interest for Armenia. We wonder if the president who was elected by the people is working for those who elected him. Clearly not. The people of Armenia have spoken and have joined the ARF once again to protest against the ‘Protocols’ mastered in and by the West and unforunately by Russia. SHAME on the so called civilized nations of the world!
I am happy that we have a nation and it is on it feet.
Our people are doing their best with what they have.
However this new generation of Armenians are used to seeing thing happen fast in life.
We feel bitter that our cause is at deadlock and when we see all these major countries shaking hands with the Turks it hurts us.
I dont know about you guys but for me it is really painfuly that I cannot change this situation.
All we want is fairness and justice.
Not only do we see Spain and Russian and many other countries being so charming to these dirty Turks ,we have our own president of Armenia doing the same thing.
DEAR ARAXI, WE COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE………………………………………. EVENTHOUGH I DON’T EXPECT MY FEEDBACK WILL PUBLISH ? BUT ANYHOW I RESPOND….. ALREADY ARF ASKED FOR RESIGNATION OF MR. NALBANDYAN ONLY ( NOT PRESIDENT SARGSYAN) AS I HEARD THE MAIN RREASON WAS THAT ONE OF THE TOP ” ARF’S HAIRENIK MEMBER” IS MR. PRESIDENT’S ” KHNAMI”
Dear Araxi; I have said it and I will say it again, which is the same sentiments you said above. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, however idealistically inclined some say, they must be the ones that rule Armenia. Any leader from ARF’s rank will not sell out their country or Artsakh for pieces of silver like the Sarkisian administration is doing it now. The ARF feels for the people of our country and they hold it up high all our sacred causes; namely the security of the sovereignty of Armenia and Artsakh, they would see to it that the money that comes in from Diaspora will not just fill in their administration’s pockets but it is justly given to the people of our Homeland. Such as jobs are created, small and big businesses floorish, the farmers’ businesses are satisfied, more hospitals, tools for the hospitals, more schools, genius Armenian children are well rewarded after graduation, and the list goes on and on. What are Sarkisian’s oligarchs are doing? They have created with our number one enemy the dire, disgraceful and the dangerous protocols that will bring in more money for themselves alone, yet the farmers and the businesses will go bankrupt. Meanwhile with the outcome of the protocols, they are reiterating the illegal Kars treaty that was drawn by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when he wasn’t even a prime minister of Turkey when he signed it, (which will give away the right of our Western Armenia and reparations from the annihilation of more than 2 million Armenians, the Armenian Genocide), and now that the Sarkisian administration gave the Turks an arm, they want the legs too, (our Artsakh) when it was given away to the Azeris by the bolsheviks to appease Mustafa Kemal. And just recently our wonderful guys and men of arms fought with their last breath to get back some of our Artsakhian lands on or about 1990. Sarkisian and his oligarchs must be replaced by a new government that cares for Armenia and Artsakh. The only one that I am aware of that have both vision and are ethical is the ARF.
What is the probability of a coup d’etat occurring in Armenia?
If and when May God forbid Artsakh goes, Armenia will be demolished in total. Thus the dreams of Pan Turanism of Turkey and Azerbaijan will materialize. After Artsakh goes the Azeris will want our Sunik so that they’ll have borders with Turkey and there will be no Armenia left for Armenians. These protocols must not be signed or else. It will be to the demise of our homeland and us ever being able to have an Armenia under the sun.
Well, it seems that we are waking up and might be jolted into a proactive move to defenestrate these protocols of shame — more aptly referred to as protocols of surrender and submission. It remains to be seen how the government, who seems to have lost touch and distanced itself from the nation, its historical consciousness and traditions, will react to the voices of rejection. On the other side, our best ally might be found amongst the turkish political sectors who are in opposition to these so called protocols and may thwart their government’s drive on this issue.
Thank you Joghovoort!!!! we shall overcome!!!! there is nothing we can not do, we have come this far, we are at the mountain top we are all up there this is our time our world we have Genocide recognition in all civilized counties, we are there that’s why all this is happening the Turks know this, they are scared and running crazy, all this deal making and so called diplomacy which is just propaganda is because Turkey knows the inevitable is happening and they are trying everything to connect with everyone saying they are important and so on so someone will stand by them on that day which is around the first corner approaching fast. they are going to the west and east and everywhere to make deals and make themselves important but that won’t stop the inevitable, there will be no protocols to help them no one will stand with them anymore they will self destruct like all criminals first they will try to fool us and everyone when that fails which it will then they will create a world crisis like they are trying to like the Azerbaijan issue, and when that gets thrown out they will get another country to create another crisis to stop the inevitable can you see they will kill their own mothers and start killing each other off create the biggest situations and problems, but that won’t help eather and they will self destruct like all criminals they will turn inward and start destroying themselves and no one will stand with them and they will just say well they brought this on themselves their country is cumming apart at the seams and they are not as stable in anyway whatsoever no one is their friend watch no one cares about Turkey all their so called ones can’t wait for Turkey to come apart. they know it will they are just tolerating them till they go away. Joghovoort we are with you everyday and every moment you are in our hearts and in our veins, we cry everyday for you and our country and are so proud of your bravery and all we really want is to join you in our lives. like the man said everyone stand up stand up and stand up with joy and wisdom, we have justice coming to greet us at our door step!!! are you ready?
Go ARF go every singles Armenian is with you . to hell the shameless protocols
Dear Armenians,
Could somebody explain to me WHERE in protocols is said that we agree to deny genocide and give Karabach to Azerbadjan? How Portocols can cause that? i do not understand? Everybody screems that we should be agains them, but nobody says WHY?
Armenia needs bust in business, Turkey is very cheap market! Having a good neigbor is very important, if Protocols say : Let us get along WITH OUT ANY CONDITIONS! mean what ever there we are not going to discuss, FOR NOW, it does not mean accepting thier conditions…
To Anahid- go to http://news.am/en/news/3438.html and read the protocols. Read about creation of historical subcommision and respecting of the territorial integrity of the neighbors.
Armenia needs the end of corruption and end of oligarcs which are in monopoly and jack up the prices. Armenia already receives what it needs from georgia, Iran and even Turkey. To give up on our national interests and accepting Turkish preconditions is a no no.
We need a regime and total leadership change in Armenia. The current leaderships are total disgrace to our eyes. Shame on Serzh Sargsyan and his administration.
ARF is strong and powerful in ARmenia.. however, what I don’t understand is why is it taking them so long to do something more powerful and break these chains that have been built around our country and people by our President and his shayka (gang)…
Don’t they have the power to stop all this or at least mess it up? Not sure if organizing a protest is going to help the situation any more than it did when the countries around the world protested…
Just like most of you, i feel helpless.. i feel heart broken and powerless because i can’t do anything.. i can’t help ARmenia, I can’t help my people.. I wish I had the magic flute that played the hypnotizing music to have all the rats in our government to march straight into Lake Sevan and drown…
G
I agree, Serz Sarkisian must step down. Thank God for the A.R.F. for organizing the demonstrations against the Government. The Protocols if signed will be a disaster for the Armenian Republic and Armenians around the world. Armenians must unite against Sarkisians blunder. Until Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide, makes land returns & reparations to the Armenian People then their can be no peace between our two countries.