The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) is free to decide whether to remain part of Armenia’s current government after criticizing former President Robert Kocharian’s arrest, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said over the weekend.
Dashnaktsutyun said late last month that coup charges levelled against Kocharian “can be interpreted as political persecution.” Accordingly, three of its parliament deputies joined last week more than 40 other lawmakers in signing a joint petition calling for his release. The move was endorsed by the party’s leadership.
Commenting on the Dashnaktsutyun criticism, Pashinian said: “I want to make clear that there is no [governing] coalition in Armenia. That’s a misunderstanding.”
“We tried to form a government of national accord,” he told reporters during a weekend trip to the northern Tavush province. “Whoever feels that they are outside that government … we are not holding anyone captive.”
“I don’t think more needs to be said. I have answered your question,” added the premier. He declined to specify whether he himself thinks Dashnaktsutyun should quit his government.
The party has so far given no indications that it would like to give up its two ministerial posts in Pashinian’s government. The cabinet was formed in May following Pashinian-led mass protests that forced the country’s longtime leader, Serzh Sarkisian, to step down.
Dashnaktsutyun cut similar power-sharing deals with Sarkisian in 2008 and 2016. It was also allied to Kocharian during his 1998-2008 rule.
Armenia -- Hrant Markarian, a leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party.
On Saturday, one of Dashnaktsutyun’s top leaders, Hrant Markarian, condemned as “mental terror” angry reactions to his party’s support for Kocharian emanating from Pashinian’s supporters.
“We want this movement for new Armenia to succeed and we don’t want them to make mistakes,” Markarian told reporters in Yerevan. “And because we don’t want them to make mistakes we express our views.”
“Do we want Nikol Pashinian to succeed or not?” he went on. “If not, let’s leave him alone. Sooner or later he would hit a wall. But if we want [him to succeed] we need to tell what he needs to avoid, which path he should not follow and on which issues we have concerns. This is how we can be partners, not by being silent or coming to terms.”
Markarian insisted that the Dashnaktsutyun leadership still has a “friendly approach” towards Pashinian. But he also warned: “We will not let anyone engage in mental terror because terror is terror, whether you shoot people or obstruct their thoughts.”