mercoledì 24 settembre 2008
Armenia
Area: 29,800 sq kmPopulation: 3,213,011 (2001 census), of whichurban: 2,066,153 (64.3%)rural: 1,146,858 (35.7%)Capital City: Yerevan (population: 1.2 million)Ethnic Group: Armenian 98%, Yezidi 1.2%, Russian 0.5%, Greek and other 0.3% (2001 census)A total of 3,145,354 Armenians, 40,620 Yezidis, 14,660 Rusians, 3,409 Assyrians, 1,633 Ukrainians, 1,519 Kurds, 1,176 Greeks, 4,640 other (2001 census).Languages: Eastern Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)Religion(s): Armenian Apostolic Church 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi 1.3%Currency: DramMajor political parties: Republican Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaks), Heritage Party, United Labour Party, Prosperous Armenia, Country of Law Party, Peoples' Party, National Unity Party, Republic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, National Democratic Alliance Party, Democratic Party, Armenian Pan-National Movement, Communist Party of Armenia.Government: Presidential RepublicHead of State: President Serge SarkisianPrime Minister/Premier: Tigran SarkisianForeign Minister: Eduard NalbandyanMembership of international groupings/organisations: BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECOSOC, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
giovedì 18 settembre 2008
Presidential Election
A presidential election was held in Armenia on 19 February 2008. Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan won the election in the first round according to official results, but this is disputed by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, who officially placed second.
The candidacy of Sargsyan was backed by incumbent President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan[1][2] (who is ineligible for a third consecutive term).[3] Other candidates included Ter-Petrossian[1][3][4] and Vahan Hovhannisyan, the Vice President of the National Assembly, representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.[5] The largest opposition party, Rule of Law, nominated former parliamentary speaker Artur Baghdasarian as its candidate.[6]
Contents
1 Candidates
2 Campaign and election
3 Results
4 International reaction
5 Protests
6 References
7 External links
//
Candidates
By the registration deadline of 6 December 2007, nine candidates had registered:
Artur Baghdasarian from Rule of Law
Artashes Geghamyan from the National Unity
Aram Harutyunyan from the National Conciliation Party
Vahan Hovhannisyan from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Tigran Karapetyan from the People's Party
Vazgen Manukyan from the National Democratic Union
Arman Melikyan
Serzh Sargsyan from the Republican Party of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrossian
Raffi Hovannisian from Heritage and Aram Karapetyan from New Times also tried to register, but were refused the certificates of residence in Armenia over the last ten years by the Armenian Police Department of Passports. Prosperous Armenia's Gagik Tsarukian, a business oligarch, whose party has the second largest faction in parliament endorsed Serge Sargsian.
Ter-Petrossian officially announced his candidacy in a speech in Yerevan on 26 October 2007. He accused Kocharyan of running "an institutionalized mafia-style regime" that was responsible for massive corruption involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. He was also critical of the government's claims of strong economic growth and argued that Kocharyan and Sargsyan had come to accept a solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh that was effectively the same solution that he had proposed ten years earlier, although they had strongly opposed that proposal at the time.
Campaign and election
The electoral campaign began on 21 January 2008. At the opening of campaiging, Ter-Petrossian fiercely denounced Sargsyan and Kocharyan, accusing them of "thieving and anti-popular" rule, and said that he was certain of victory, while acknowledging "disappointments" and "harsh criticisms" regarding his earlier presidency during the 1990s. For his part, Baghdasarian released a 32-page manifesto for his campaign, vowing to "eliminate corruption and embezzlement" and to provide "equality before law" and "a drastic rise in the living standards of the people". Hovhannisyan was a candidate despite the participation of his party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, in the governing coalition; his campaign promises included the break-up of monopolies, the promotion of economic development, and anti-corruption measures. Geghamyan, the National Unity Party's candidate, devoted the opening of his campaign to denouncing Ter-Petrossian and accusing others in the opposition of smearing him. Some members of the opposition suggested that Geghamyan was working for the government in an effort to undermine Ter-Petrossian.
Ter-Petrossian criticized Baghdasarian for running his own campaign instead of rallying behind Ter-Petrossian's candidacy, calling him a "traitor" and saying that he was effectively supporting Sargsyan. After Baghdasarian rebuffed Ter-Petrossian's ultimatum, a pro-Ter-Petrossian newspaper, Haykakan Zhamanak, insinuated that Baghdasarian was a "sexual deviant."
Aside from his own Republican Party (HHK), Sargysan was backed by Prosperous Armenia (BHK).
It was considered very likely that Sargsyan will finish in the first place in the first round, with either former president Ter-Petrossian or Baghdasarian, who ran on a pro-EU and pro-NATO platform, in second place. First results and reports from OSCE election observers were expected on 20 February 2008, and the final result was to be announced within seven days.
According to exit polls, Sargsyan won the election in the first round with 57%, with Ter-Petrossian coming in second with 17%. The opposition parties have stated that they consider the election result fraudulent. Ter-Petrossian, claiming victory, accused the government of rigging the election and called for a rally in Yerevan on February 20 that would protest the official results and celebrate his claimed victory. OSCE and Western monitors said that the election was largely free and fair. However, the report from the OSCE-led observers also described vote counting as "bad or very bad" in 15% of observed polling stations, and Edgar Vazquez of the United States Department of State said that the U.S. was "concerned" about this.
On February 20, results from all 1,923 polling stations showed Sargsyan with 52.86% of the vote (863,544 votes). Ter-Petrossian was placed second with 21.5% (351,306 votes and Baghdassaryan was placed third with 16.67% (272,256 votes Hovannisyan placed fourth with 6.2% and Manukyan placed fifth with 1.5%; the other candidates received less than 1% of the vote. Voter turnout was placed at about 70%.
Sargysan thanked the people for giving him "overwhelming support" and said that he would be "the president of all Armenians". A spokesman for Sargysan's Republican Party claimed that the election was the most democratic ever held in Armenia; while he acknowledged flaws in the election, he said that they did not affect the outcome.
The opposition requested dozens of recounts. In one of them, on February 21, in a central Yerevan precinct showed that Sargsyan had won 395 votes there, rather than the 709 with which he had been credited in the initial count; votes had been taken from other candidates and added to Sargsyan's score. A criminal case was opened by state prosecutors regarding this possible fraud, and the chairman of the precinct commission was arrested; according to the HHK, recounts in over 30 other precincts showed results similar to the initial counts. Sargysan told police to investigate alleged electoral violations on 22 February.
Final results, released by the Central Electoral Commission on February 24, confirmed Sargysan's victory, crediting him with 52.82% of the vote (862,369 votes); Ter-Petrossian received 21.5% (351,222 votes) and Baghdasarian was said to have won 17.7% (272,427 votes).
Sargysan was inaugurated as the third President of Armenia on 9 April 2008.
Results
Candidate
Party
Votes
%
Serzh Sargsyan
Republican Party of Armenia
862,369
52.82%
Levon Ter-Petrossian
351,222
21.50%
Artur Baghdasarian
Rule of Law
272,427
17.70%
Vahan Hovhannisian
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
100,966
6.20%
Vazgen Manukyan
National Democratic Union
21,075
1.30%
Tigran Karapetyan
People's Party
9,792
0.60%
Artashes Geghamian
National Unity
7,524
0.46%
Arman Melikian
4,399
0.27%
Aram Harutyunyan
National Conciliation Party
2,892
0.17%
Total
1,632,666
100.00%
Source: defacto.am
International reaction
Both the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) have commended the conduct of the election and stated that they regard the result as broadly democratic. The EU Commission said: "The European Union congratulates the Armenian people for the conduct of a competitive presidential election in Armenia. The European Union notes the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission which concluded that the presidential election in Armenia, an important test for democracy in this country, was conducted mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards. The European Union welcomes the genuine efforts that were made to address the shortcomings in previous elections. However, the EU also notes that the report raised concerns about the electoral process and that further improvements are necessary to address the remaining challenges. It notes in particular that, according to ODIHR, improvements and additional political will are necessary to tackle concerns such as the lack of public confidence in the electoral process, the absence of clear separation between state and party functions and ensuring equal treatment of candidates. The European Union looks forward to the final results of the presidential election and calls on the competent authorities to ensure that complaints are adequately investigated and shortcomings addressed."
A spokesman for the United States Department of State said: "We congratulate the people of Armenia on the active and competitive presidential election of February 19 and note the preliminary assessment of the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly that the election was "mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections. At the same time, we also note that international monitors identified significant problems with electoral procedures. Armenian election authorities have responded with the positive step of recounts in a number of jurisdictions. We urge the Government of Armenia to ensure these recounts are conducted comprehensively and transparently, investigate all allegations of irregularities, and implement steps to improve future elections. We also urge all political forces to continue observing the rule of law and to work peacefully and responsibly for a democratic Armenia."
Protests
March 1 mass protests after violent beating of peaceful protesters in the morning
Main article: 2008 Armenian election protests
Following the election result, opposition protests began in Yerevan's Freedom Square, in front of the Opera House. On March 1st, the demonstrators were violently dispersed by police and military forces and President Robert Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency. This was followed by mass arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as a de facto ban on any further anti-government protests.
References
^ a b c "Armenia: Polls Close Amid Allegations Of Voting Irregularities", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 19 February 2008.
^ "Armenia: Opposition Protests Gain Momentum With High-Ranking Support", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 22 February 2008.
^ a b c Emil Danielian and Liz Fuller, "Armenian Ex-President Confirms Comeback Plans", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1 November 2007.
^ Astghik Bedevian, "Ter-Petrosian Will Run For President, Say Allies", armenialiberty.org, 26 September 2007.
^ a b "Armenia: Presidential Campaign Gets Under Way", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 25 January 2008.
^ [ www.armenialiberty.org ] Monday 1, October 2007
^ 9 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES // Armenian News by A1+ Armenia
^ "Armenia: FAQ About February's Presidential Election", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 18, 2008.
^ a b c d "Sarkisian Thanks Armenians For ‘Overwhelming Support’", Armenialiberty.org, 21 February 2008.
^ Opposition allegations cloud Armenia election
^ "Armenian opposition candidate accuses prime minister of election violations", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), February 19, 2008.
^ Danielyan, Emil (2008-02-20). "Armenian Vote 'Largely Democratic'", ArmeniaLiberty, Radio Free Europe. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
^ "U.S. expresses concern over Armenia's presidential vote count", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 21 February 2008.
^ a b c d e Sargsyan wins Armenian presidential race, Xinhua, February 20, 2008.
^ a b c d "Kocharyan promises to ensure law ands order in Armenia", ITAR-TASS, 23 February 2008.
^ "Armenia: Sarkisian Claims Disputed Presidential Victory", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 20 February 2008.
^ "Armenian premier asks police to investigate alleged election violations", ITAR-TASS, 22 February 2008.
^ [http://en.rian.ru/world/20080224/99967874.html "Sarkisyan wins Armenian presidential polls - final results"}, RIA Novosti, 24 February 2008.
^ "RA CEC DECLARED SERGE SARGSIAN ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT", defacto.am, 25 February 2008.
^ "Sargsyan officially announced Armenian president-elect", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 25 February 2008.
^ European Commission shares OSCE assessment of Armenia’s presidential election
^ EU: election - important test for democracy - was conducted mostly in line with international standards
^ U.S. congratulates Armenian people on conduction of active and competitive presidential election
The candidacy of Sargsyan was backed by incumbent President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan[1][2] (who is ineligible for a third consecutive term).[3] Other candidates included Ter-Petrossian[1][3][4] and Vahan Hovhannisyan, the Vice President of the National Assembly, representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.[5] The largest opposition party, Rule of Law, nominated former parliamentary speaker Artur Baghdasarian as its candidate.[6]
Contents
1 Candidates
2 Campaign and election
3 Results
4 International reaction
5 Protests
6 References
7 External links
//
Candidates
By the registration deadline of 6 December 2007, nine candidates had registered:
Artur Baghdasarian from Rule of Law
Artashes Geghamyan from the National Unity
Aram Harutyunyan from the National Conciliation Party
Vahan Hovhannisyan from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Tigran Karapetyan from the People's Party
Vazgen Manukyan from the National Democratic Union
Arman Melikyan
Serzh Sargsyan from the Republican Party of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrossian
Raffi Hovannisian from Heritage and Aram Karapetyan from New Times also tried to register, but were refused the certificates of residence in Armenia over the last ten years by the Armenian Police Department of Passports. Prosperous Armenia's Gagik Tsarukian, a business oligarch, whose party has the second largest faction in parliament endorsed Serge Sargsian.
Ter-Petrossian officially announced his candidacy in a speech in Yerevan on 26 October 2007. He accused Kocharyan of running "an institutionalized mafia-style regime" that was responsible for massive corruption involving the theft of "at least three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. He was also critical of the government's claims of strong economic growth and argued that Kocharyan and Sargsyan had come to accept a solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh that was effectively the same solution that he had proposed ten years earlier, although they had strongly opposed that proposal at the time.
Campaign and election
The electoral campaign began on 21 January 2008. At the opening of campaiging, Ter-Petrossian fiercely denounced Sargsyan and Kocharyan, accusing them of "thieving and anti-popular" rule, and said that he was certain of victory, while acknowledging "disappointments" and "harsh criticisms" regarding his earlier presidency during the 1990s. For his part, Baghdasarian released a 32-page manifesto for his campaign, vowing to "eliminate corruption and embezzlement" and to provide "equality before law" and "a drastic rise in the living standards of the people". Hovhannisyan was a candidate despite the participation of his party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, in the governing coalition; his campaign promises included the break-up of monopolies, the promotion of economic development, and anti-corruption measures. Geghamyan, the National Unity Party's candidate, devoted the opening of his campaign to denouncing Ter-Petrossian and accusing others in the opposition of smearing him. Some members of the opposition suggested that Geghamyan was working for the government in an effort to undermine Ter-Petrossian.
Ter-Petrossian criticized Baghdasarian for running his own campaign instead of rallying behind Ter-Petrossian's candidacy, calling him a "traitor" and saying that he was effectively supporting Sargsyan. After Baghdasarian rebuffed Ter-Petrossian's ultimatum, a pro-Ter-Petrossian newspaper, Haykakan Zhamanak, insinuated that Baghdasarian was a "sexual deviant."
Aside from his own Republican Party (HHK), Sargysan was backed by Prosperous Armenia (BHK).
It was considered very likely that Sargsyan will finish in the first place in the first round, with either former president Ter-Petrossian or Baghdasarian, who ran on a pro-EU and pro-NATO platform, in second place. First results and reports from OSCE election observers were expected on 20 February 2008, and the final result was to be announced within seven days.
According to exit polls, Sargsyan won the election in the first round with 57%, with Ter-Petrossian coming in second with 17%. The opposition parties have stated that they consider the election result fraudulent. Ter-Petrossian, claiming victory, accused the government of rigging the election and called for a rally in Yerevan on February 20 that would protest the official results and celebrate his claimed victory. OSCE and Western monitors said that the election was largely free and fair. However, the report from the OSCE-led observers also described vote counting as "bad or very bad" in 15% of observed polling stations, and Edgar Vazquez of the United States Department of State said that the U.S. was "concerned" about this.
On February 20, results from all 1,923 polling stations showed Sargsyan with 52.86% of the vote (863,544 votes). Ter-Petrossian was placed second with 21.5% (351,306 votes and Baghdassaryan was placed third with 16.67% (272,256 votes Hovannisyan placed fourth with 6.2% and Manukyan placed fifth with 1.5%; the other candidates received less than 1% of the vote. Voter turnout was placed at about 70%.
Sargysan thanked the people for giving him "overwhelming support" and said that he would be "the president of all Armenians". A spokesman for Sargysan's Republican Party claimed that the election was the most democratic ever held in Armenia; while he acknowledged flaws in the election, he said that they did not affect the outcome.
The opposition requested dozens of recounts. In one of them, on February 21, in a central Yerevan precinct showed that Sargsyan had won 395 votes there, rather than the 709 with which he had been credited in the initial count; votes had been taken from other candidates and added to Sargsyan's score. A criminal case was opened by state prosecutors regarding this possible fraud, and the chairman of the precinct commission was arrested; according to the HHK, recounts in over 30 other precincts showed results similar to the initial counts. Sargysan told police to investigate alleged electoral violations on 22 February.
Final results, released by the Central Electoral Commission on February 24, confirmed Sargysan's victory, crediting him with 52.82% of the vote (862,369 votes); Ter-Petrossian received 21.5% (351,222 votes) and Baghdasarian was said to have won 17.7% (272,427 votes).
Sargysan was inaugurated as the third President of Armenia on 9 April 2008.
Results
Candidate
Party
Votes
%
Serzh Sargsyan
Republican Party of Armenia
862,369
52.82%
Levon Ter-Petrossian
351,222
21.50%
Artur Baghdasarian
Rule of Law
272,427
17.70%
Vahan Hovhannisian
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
100,966
6.20%
Vazgen Manukyan
National Democratic Union
21,075
1.30%
Tigran Karapetyan
People's Party
9,792
0.60%
Artashes Geghamian
National Unity
7,524
0.46%
Arman Melikian
4,399
0.27%
Aram Harutyunyan
National Conciliation Party
2,892
0.17%
Total
1,632,666
100.00%
Source: defacto.am
International reaction
Both the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) have commended the conduct of the election and stated that they regard the result as broadly democratic. The EU Commission said: "The European Union congratulates the Armenian people for the conduct of a competitive presidential election in Armenia. The European Union notes the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission which concluded that the presidential election in Armenia, an important test for democracy in this country, was conducted mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards. The European Union welcomes the genuine efforts that were made to address the shortcomings in previous elections. However, the EU also notes that the report raised concerns about the electoral process and that further improvements are necessary to address the remaining challenges. It notes in particular that, according to ODIHR, improvements and additional political will are necessary to tackle concerns such as the lack of public confidence in the electoral process, the absence of clear separation between state and party functions and ensuring equal treatment of candidates. The European Union looks forward to the final results of the presidential election and calls on the competent authorities to ensure that complaints are adequately investigated and shortcomings addressed."
A spokesman for the United States Department of State said: "We congratulate the people of Armenia on the active and competitive presidential election of February 19 and note the preliminary assessment of the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly that the election was "mostly in line with OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections. At the same time, we also note that international monitors identified significant problems with electoral procedures. Armenian election authorities have responded with the positive step of recounts in a number of jurisdictions. We urge the Government of Armenia to ensure these recounts are conducted comprehensively and transparently, investigate all allegations of irregularities, and implement steps to improve future elections. We also urge all political forces to continue observing the rule of law and to work peacefully and responsibly for a democratic Armenia."
Protests
March 1 mass protests after violent beating of peaceful protesters in the morning
Main article: 2008 Armenian election protests
Following the election result, opposition protests began in Yerevan's Freedom Square, in front of the Opera House. On March 1st, the demonstrators were violently dispersed by police and military forces and President Robert Kocharyan declared a 20-day state of emergency. This was followed by mass arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as a de facto ban on any further anti-government protests.
References
^ a b c "Armenia: Polls Close Amid Allegations Of Voting Irregularities", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 19 February 2008.
^ "Armenia: Opposition Protests Gain Momentum With High-Ranking Support", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 22 February 2008.
^ a b c Emil Danielian and Liz Fuller, "Armenian Ex-President Confirms Comeback Plans", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1 November 2007.
^ Astghik Bedevian, "Ter-Petrosian Will Run For President, Say Allies", armenialiberty.org, 26 September 2007.
^ a b "Armenia: Presidential Campaign Gets Under Way", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 25 January 2008.
^ [ www.armenialiberty.org ] Monday 1, October 2007
^ 9 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES // Armenian News by A1+ Armenia
^ "Armenia: FAQ About February's Presidential Election", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, February 18, 2008.
^ a b c d "Sarkisian Thanks Armenians For ‘Overwhelming Support’", Armenialiberty.org, 21 February 2008.
^ Opposition allegations cloud Armenia election
^ "Armenian opposition candidate accuses prime minister of election violations", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), February 19, 2008.
^ Danielyan, Emil (2008-02-20). "Armenian Vote 'Largely Democratic'", ArmeniaLiberty, Radio Free Europe. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
^ "U.S. expresses concern over Armenia's presidential vote count", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 21 February 2008.
^ a b c d e Sargsyan wins Armenian presidential race, Xinhua, February 20, 2008.
^ a b c d "Kocharyan promises to ensure law ands order in Armenia", ITAR-TASS, 23 February 2008.
^ "Armenia: Sarkisian Claims Disputed Presidential Victory", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 20 February 2008.
^ "Armenian premier asks police to investigate alleged election violations", ITAR-TASS, 22 February 2008.
^ [http://en.rian.ru/world/20080224/99967874.html "Sarkisyan wins Armenian presidential polls - final results"}, RIA Novosti, 24 February 2008.
^ "RA CEC DECLARED SERGE SARGSIAN ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT", defacto.am, 25 February 2008.
^ "Sargsyan officially announced Armenian president-elect", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), 25 February 2008.
^ European Commission shares OSCE assessment of Armenia’s presidential election
^ EU: election - important test for democracy - was conducted mostly in line with international standards
^ U.S. congratulates Armenian people on conduction of active and competitive presidential election
Political Parties in Armenia
This article lists political parties in Armenia. Armenia has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
Major parties
Republican Party of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Prosperous Armenia (Bargavach Hayastani Kusaktsutyun, Բարգավաճ Հայաստանի Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, Հայ Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն; socialist, nationalist)
Rule of Law (Orinats Yerkir, Օրինաց Երկիր; centrist)
Heritage (Zharangutyun, Ժառանգություն; centrist)
United Labour Party (Miavorvats Ashkhatankayin Kusaktsutyun, Միավորված Աշխատանկային Կուսակցություն; social democratic)
National Unity (Azgayin Miabanutyun, Ազգային Միաբանություն; conservative)
New Times (Nor Zhamanakner, Նոր Ժամանակներ; centrist)
Other parties
All Armenian Labour Party (social democratic)
Armenian Communist Party (Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Կոմունիստական Կուսակցություն, communist)
Conservative Party of Armenia ( conservative Պահպանողական Կուսակցություն, Պաշտոնական Կայքը Pahpanoghakan Kusaktsutyun, official web site )
Constitutional Rights Union (conservative)
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar Azatakan, Ռամկավար Ազատական, liberal)
Democratic Party of Armenia (Hayastani Demokratakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Դեմոկրատական Կուսակցություն, conservative)
Dignity, Democracy, Motherland, nationalist)
Law and Unity (Iravunk yev Miabanutyun, Իրավունք և Միաբանություն, conservative)
Liberal Democratic Union of Armenia (liberal)
Mighty Fatherland (Hzor Hayrenik, Հզոր Հայրենիք, nationalist)
New Country (Nor Yerkir, Նոր Եերկիր)
Pan-Armenian National Movement (Hayots Hamazgayin Sharzhum, Հայոց Համազգային Շարժում) (liberal)
People's Party of Armenia (Hayastani Zhoghovrdakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաաստանի Ժողովրդական Կուսակցություն, left-wing socialist)
Progressive United Communist Party of Armenia
Republic (conservative)
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն, socialist)
Union of Industrialists and Women
United Communist Party of Armenia (Hayastani Miatsyal Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Միացյալ Կոմւնիստակն Կուսակցություն, communist)
Christian Democratic Union or CDU (Azat Arshakyn), chairman
Free Armenian's Mission (Ruben Mnatsanian), chairman
Mission Party (Artush Papoian), chairman
National Democratic Union or NDU (Vazgen Manukyan)
National State Party (Samvel Shaginian)
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM (Maria Nersissian)
Stability Group (Vartan Ayvazian), chairman
Union of National Self-Determination (Armenia) or NSDU (Paruir Hairikian), chairman
Major parties
Republican Party of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Prosperous Armenia (Bargavach Hayastani Kusaktsutyun, Բարգավաճ Հայաստանի Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, Հայ Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն; socialist, nationalist)
Rule of Law (Orinats Yerkir, Օրինաց Երկիր; centrist)
Heritage (Zharangutyun, Ժառանգություն; centrist)
United Labour Party (Miavorvats Ashkhatankayin Kusaktsutyun, Միավորված Աշխատանկային Կուսակցություն; social democratic)
National Unity (Azgayin Miabanutyun, Ազգային Միաբանություն; conservative)
New Times (Nor Zhamanakner, Նոր Ժամանակներ; centrist)
Other parties
All Armenian Labour Party (social democratic)
Armenian Communist Party (Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Կոմունիստական Կուսակցություն, communist)
Conservative Party of Armenia ( conservative Պահպանողական Կուսակցություն, Պաշտոնական Կայքը Pahpanoghakan Kusaktsutyun, official web site )
Constitutional Rights Union (conservative)
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar Azatakan, Ռամկավար Ազատական, liberal)
Democratic Party of Armenia (Hayastani Demokratakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Դեմոկրատական Կուսակցություն, conservative)
Dignity, Democracy, Motherland, nationalist)
Law and Unity (Iravunk yev Miabanutyun, Իրավունք և Միաբանություն, conservative)
Liberal Democratic Union of Armenia (liberal)
Mighty Fatherland (Hzor Hayrenik, Հզոր Հայրենիք, nationalist)
New Country (Nor Yerkir, Նոր Եերկիր)
Pan-Armenian National Movement (Hayots Hamazgayin Sharzhum, Հայոց Համազգային Շարժում) (liberal)
People's Party of Armenia (Hayastani Zhoghovrdakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաաստանի Ժողովրդական Կուսակցություն, left-wing socialist)
Progressive United Communist Party of Armenia
Republic (conservative)
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն, socialist)
Union of Industrialists and Women
United Communist Party of Armenia (Hayastani Miatsyal Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Միացյալ Կոմւնիստակն Կուսակցություն, communist)
Christian Democratic Union or CDU (Azat Arshakyn), chairman
Free Armenian's Mission (Ruben Mnatsanian), chairman
Mission Party (Artush Papoian), chairman
National Democratic Union or NDU (Vazgen Manukyan)
National State Party (Samvel Shaginian)
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM (Maria Nersissian)
Stability Group (Vartan Ayvazian), chairman
Union of National Self-Determination (Armenia) or NSDU (Paruir Hairikian), chairman
Tutti i Partiti Politici d'Armenia
This article lists political parties in Armenia. Armenia has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
Major parties
Republican Party of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Prosperous Armenia (Bargavach Hayastani Kusaktsutyun, Բարգավաճ Հայաստանի Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, Հայ Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն; socialist, nationalist)
Rule of Law (Orinats Yerkir, Օրինաց Երկիր; centrist)
Heritage (Zharangutyun, Ժառանգություն; centrist)
United Labour Party (Miavorvats Ashkhatankayin Kusaktsutyun, Միավորված Աշխատանկային Կուսակցություն; social democratic)
National Unity (Azgayin Miabanutyun, Ազգային Միաբանություն; conservative)
New Times (Nor Zhamanakner, Նոր Ժամանակներ; centrist)
[edit] Other parties
All Armenian Labour Party (social democratic)
Armenian Communist Party (Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Կոմունիստական Կուսակցություն, communist)
Conservative Party of Armenia ( conservative Պահպանողական Կուսակցություն, Պաշտոնական Կայքը Pahpanoghakan Kusaktsutyun, official web site )
Constitutional Rights Union (conservative)
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar Azatakan, Ռամկավար Ազատական, liberal)
Democratic Party of Armenia (Hayastani Demokratakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Դեմոկրատական Կուսակցություն, conservative)
Dignity, Democracy, Motherland, nationalist)
Law and Unity (Iravunk yev Miabanutyun, Իրավունք և Միաբանություն, conservative)
Liberal Democratic Union of Armenia (liberal)
Mighty Fatherland (Hzor Hayrenik, Հզոր Հայրենիք, nationalist)
New Country (Nor Yerkir, Նոր Եերկիր)
Pan-Armenian National Movement (Hayots Hamazgayin Sharzhum, Հայոց Համազգային Շարժում) (liberal)
People's Party of Armenia (Hayastani Zhoghovrdakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաաստանի Ժողովրդական Կուսակցություն, left-wing socialist)
Progressive United Communist Party of Armenia
Republic (conservative)
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն, socialist)
Union of Industrialists and Women
United Communist Party of Armenia (Hayastani Miatsyal Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Միացյալ Կոմւնիստակն Կուսակցություն, communist)
Christian Democratic Union or CDU (Azat Arshakyn), chairman
Free Armenian's Mission (Ruben Mnatsanian), chairman
Mission Party (Artush Papoian), chairman
National Democratic Union or NDU (Vazgen Manukyan)
National State Party (Samvel Shaginian)
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM (Maria Nersissian)
Stability Group (Vartan Ayvazian), chairman
Union of National Self-Determination (Armenia) or NSDU (Paruir Hairikian), chairman
Major parties
Republican Party of Armenia (Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Prosperous Armenia (Bargavach Hayastani Kusaktsutyun, Բարգավաճ Հայաստանի Կուսակցություն; conservative)
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Hay Heghapokhakan Dashnaktsutyun, Հայ Հեղափոխական Դաշնակցություն; socialist, nationalist)
Rule of Law (Orinats Yerkir, Օրինաց Երկիր; centrist)
Heritage (Zharangutyun, Ժառանգություն; centrist)
United Labour Party (Miavorvats Ashkhatankayin Kusaktsutyun, Միավորված Աշխատանկային Կուսակցություն; social democratic)
National Unity (Azgayin Miabanutyun, Ազգային Միաբանություն; conservative)
New Times (Nor Zhamanakner, Նոր Ժամանակներ; centrist)
[edit] Other parties
All Armenian Labour Party (social democratic)
Armenian Communist Party (Hayastani Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Կոմունիստական Կուսակցություն, communist)
Conservative Party of Armenia ( conservative Պահպանողական Կուսակցություն, Պաշտոնական Կայքը Pahpanoghakan Kusaktsutyun, official web site )
Constitutional Rights Union (conservative)
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramkavar Azatakan, Ռամկավար Ազատական, liberal)
Democratic Party of Armenia (Hayastani Demokratakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Դեմոկրատական Կուսակցություն, conservative)
Dignity, Democracy, Motherland, nationalist)
Law and Unity (Iravunk yev Miabanutyun, Իրավունք և Միաբանություն, conservative)
Liberal Democratic Union of Armenia (liberal)
Mighty Fatherland (Hzor Hayrenik, Հզոր Հայրենիք, nationalist)
New Country (Nor Yerkir, Նոր Եերկիր)
Pan-Armenian National Movement (Hayots Hamazgayin Sharzhum, Հայոց Համազգային Շարժում) (liberal)
People's Party of Armenia (Hayastani Zhoghovrdakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաաստանի Ժողովրդական Կուսակցություն, left-wing socialist)
Progressive United Communist Party of Armenia
Republic (conservative)
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն, socialist)
Union of Industrialists and Women
United Communist Party of Armenia (Hayastani Miatsyal Komunistakan Kusaktsutyun, Հայաստանի Միացյալ Կոմւնիստակն Կուսակցություն, communist)
Christian Democratic Union or CDU (Azat Arshakyn), chairman
Free Armenian's Mission (Ruben Mnatsanian), chairman
Mission Party (Artush Papoian), chairman
National Democratic Union or NDU (Vazgen Manukyan)
National State Party (Samvel Shaginian)
Shamiram Women's Movement or SWM (Maria Nersissian)
Stability Group (Vartan Ayvazian), chairman
Union of National Self-Determination (Armenia) or NSDU (Paruir Hairikian), chairman
Ramgavar -Partito Liberal Democratico
Il Ramgavar è un partito politico armeno d'ispirazione conservatrice fondato nel 1921. Fa parte dei tre storici partiti politici armeni, insieme al socialista Dashnak ed all'Hentchak.
Attualmente è attivo in Libano, ed ha conquistato per la prima volta un seggio nel Parlamento libanese nel 2000.
English:
The Ramgavar party (before 1921 it was known as the Armenakan party), or the Armenian Democratic Liberal party, is an Armenian political party in Armenia, Lebanon, USA, Canada and some other countries. It was established in the Ottoman Empire by Mekertich Portukalian in Van in 1885. The Armenakan party was of the first parties that was established in the Ottoman Empire by Armenians. At the Armenian parliamentary elections on 25 May 2003, the party won 2.9 % of popular votes and no seats.
The Armenakan party was established in Van by Mekertich Portukalian in 1885. It was classified as a party based on the fact that it developed a platform, a central body, and an official publication.
The founder of the Armenakan party, Mekertich Portukalian (from Marseilles) kept in touch with the leaders, and published a journal of political and social enlightenment, "The Armenia". Portukalian is also cited as the father of the Armenian Patriotic Society of Europe.
After Mekertich Portukalian, the Armenians of Van continued to develop the political principles behind Armenian nationalism, in secrecy. The party's aim soon became to win for the Armenians the right to rule over themselves through revolution. The party's view on how to liberate Armenia from the Ottoman Empire was through armed struggle. Its concept of revolution was distinctly low-keyed, compared with that of succeeding organisations; terror, agitation and militant demonstrations were viewed with disfavour. They wanted to use trained Armenians with arms, as guerrilla fighters, against the Ottoman Empire.
The party's main misconception was that enemies of the Ottoman Empire would intervene and rescue the Armenian people throughout the period 1885–1918. With the turn of the century, Armenakans had cells outside Van, in other towns in the province, as well as in Trabzon and Istanbul. The military structure was developed in Russian Transcaucasia, in Persia and in the United States.
Activities in the Ottoman Empire
See also: Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire
Bashkaleh Resistance: (May, 1889)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Khanasor Expedition: (July 25, 1897)
Van Resistance: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
Change of Name
In 1921 the Armenakans, reformed Hunchaks, and Sahmanadir Ramgavars joined together to form the Ramgavar Party. The majority of the membership of the Armenakan Party was absorbed into the Ramgavar Party.
Modern politics
The Ramgavar party has long been the smallest of the ethnic Armenian parties in Lebanon. It won its first-ever parliamentary seat in 2000, as Rafik Hariri's Dignity party, currently known as Future Movement. The MP and party's leader in Lebanon Hagop Kassarjian was re-elected in 2005 elections as part of March 14 Alliance. The Ramgavar party advocates liberalism, unlike the other two major Lebanese-Armenian political parties, the Dashnaktsutyun and the Hunchakians, who follow left-wing politics.
Attualmente è attivo in Libano, ed ha conquistato per la prima volta un seggio nel Parlamento libanese nel 2000.
English:
The Ramgavar party (before 1921 it was known as the Armenakan party), or the Armenian Democratic Liberal party, is an Armenian political party in Armenia, Lebanon, USA, Canada and some other countries. It was established in the Ottoman Empire by Mekertich Portukalian in Van in 1885. The Armenakan party was of the first parties that was established in the Ottoman Empire by Armenians. At the Armenian parliamentary elections on 25 May 2003, the party won 2.9 % of popular votes and no seats.
The Armenakan party was established in Van by Mekertich Portukalian in 1885. It was classified as a party based on the fact that it developed a platform, a central body, and an official publication.
The founder of the Armenakan party, Mekertich Portukalian (from Marseilles) kept in touch with the leaders, and published a journal of political and social enlightenment, "The Armenia". Portukalian is also cited as the father of the Armenian Patriotic Society of Europe.
After Mekertich Portukalian, the Armenians of Van continued to develop the political principles behind Armenian nationalism, in secrecy. The party's aim soon became to win for the Armenians the right to rule over themselves through revolution. The party's view on how to liberate Armenia from the Ottoman Empire was through armed struggle. Its concept of revolution was distinctly low-keyed, compared with that of succeeding organisations; terror, agitation and militant demonstrations were viewed with disfavour. They wanted to use trained Armenians with arms, as guerrilla fighters, against the Ottoman Empire.
The party's main misconception was that enemies of the Ottoman Empire would intervene and rescue the Armenian people throughout the period 1885–1918. With the turn of the century, Armenakans had cells outside Van, in other towns in the province, as well as in Trabzon and Istanbul. The military structure was developed in Russian Transcaucasia, in Persia and in the United States.
Activities in the Ottoman Empire
See also: Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire
Bashkaleh Resistance: (May, 1889)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Khanasor Expedition: (July 25, 1897)
Van Resistance: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
Change of Name
In 1921 the Armenakans, reformed Hunchaks, and Sahmanadir Ramgavars joined together to form the Ramgavar Party. The majority of the membership of the Armenakan Party was absorbed into the Ramgavar Party.
Modern politics
The Ramgavar party has long been the smallest of the ethnic Armenian parties in Lebanon. It won its first-ever parliamentary seat in 2000, as Rafik Hariri's Dignity party, currently known as Future Movement. The MP and party's leader in Lebanon Hagop Kassarjian was re-elected in 2005 elections as part of March 14 Alliance. The Ramgavar party advocates liberalism, unlike the other two major Lebanese-Armenian political parties, the Dashnaktsutyun and the Hunchakians, who follow left-wing politics.
PSDH - Partito Social Democratico (Hentchak)
Partito Social Democratico Hunchakian (in Lingua armena: Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն, PSDH) o Hentchak (La Campana) è un partito politico armeno.
Lo Hentchak è il più antico partito armeno ed il primo partito socialista dell'impero ottomano. L'appellativo "Social Democratico" presente nel nome è un un richiamo ottocentesco. Il PSDH è, quindi, partito socialista nel senso classico del termine e non socialdemocratico nell'accezione odiernza, cioè più moderato. Il PSDH è infatti più a sinistra del Tashnak.
Il PSDH è stato fondato nel 1887 da un gruppo di studenti armeni a Ginevra, con l'obiettivo dichiarato dell'indipendenza dell'Armenia. Il partito è attivo nella Repubblica d'Armenia ed in Libano.
English:
The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) (Armenian: Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն), also known as Hentchak, Henchak, Social-Democratic Hentchakists, Huntchakians, Hnchakian, Henchags is the oldest Armenian political party and was the first Socialist party in the Ottoman Empire and in Persia. It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Gevorg Gharadjian, Ruben Khan-Azat, Christopher Ohanian, Gabriel Kafian and Manuel Manuelian, a group of college students in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement . Its name, taken from its newspaper Hunchak, means "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "awakening, enlightenment, and freedom."
All seven founders of the party were Russian Armenian Marxist students who had left Russia to further their education in various universities of Western Europe. They were young, in their twenties, and supported by their affluent bourgeois families. They were influenced by Russian revolutionary ideology. Mariam Vardanian had worked with Russian revolutionaries in Saint Petersburg. For the purpose of furthering revolutionary activity in Turkish Armenia, they formed the Hunchakian Revolutionary Party in August, 1887.
Hunchakian leaders hung during the Armenian Genocide
Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free the Armenian people from Turkish rule. One of Armenia's famous national heroes Andranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party, but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks and join the Dashnak party.
See also: Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire
Kum Kapu Affray: (July 27, 1890)
Sasun Resistance: (1894)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Khanasor Expedition: (July 25, 1897)
Zeitun Resistance: (August 30, 1914 - December 1, 1914 and March 25, 1915)
Van Resistance: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
Shabin-Karahisar Resistance: (June 2, 1915 - June 30, 1915)
The Twenty Martyrs (June 15, 1915)
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The party also played role in establishment of Democratic Republic of Armenia, as party members took part in the Battle of Sardarapat, during the World War I at Caucasus Campaign, which defended the Armenian capital of Yerevan from Army of Islam of Ottoman Empire.
Activities in Lebanon
In the 1950s, it clashed, sometimes violently, with the Dashnak Party, due to tensions that escalated when the ARF elected Bishop Zareh as Catholicos of Cilicia, a move that was rejected by the Hunchaks. In the midst of increasing sectarian strife in the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, Lebanon's Armenian community began to close ranks, and in 1972, the Hunchakian Party ran a joint ticket with the Dashnaks. In 2000, the Hunchakian Party joined forces with Rafik Hariri's Dignity party, which swept the city of Beirut.
Modern
In the early 1990s, the party took part in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The party today forms part of the opposition "Justice" bloc.
This party is also active in Lebanon, where it competes for the six National Assembly seats reserved for ethnic Armenians. The party subscribes to a socialist ideology and advocates a planned economy for Lebanon. Social Democrat Hunchakian Party has an official newspaper in Lebanon which is the Ararad Daily Newspaper.
Affiliate organizations
The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as the AEBU which is an organization that helps with educational, health and social care, the Armenian Dkhrouhi Youth Association and HMM (Homenmen) which is a sporting organization (not to be confused with Homenetmen).
Lo Hentchak è il più antico partito armeno ed il primo partito socialista dell'impero ottomano. L'appellativo "Social Democratico" presente nel nome è un un richiamo ottocentesco. Il PSDH è, quindi, partito socialista nel senso classico del termine e non socialdemocratico nell'accezione odiernza, cioè più moderato. Il PSDH è infatti più a sinistra del Tashnak.
Il PSDH è stato fondato nel 1887 da un gruppo di studenti armeni a Ginevra, con l'obiettivo dichiarato dell'indipendenza dell'Armenia. Il partito è attivo nella Repubblica d'Armenia ed in Libano.
English:
The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) (Armenian: Սոցիալ դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան կուսակցություն), also known as Hentchak, Henchak, Social-Democratic Hentchakists, Huntchakians, Hnchakian, Henchags is the oldest Armenian political party and was the first Socialist party in the Ottoman Empire and in Persia. It was founded in 1887 by Avetis Nazarbekian, Mariam Vardanian, Gevorg Gharadjian, Ruben Khan-Azat, Christopher Ohanian, Gabriel Kafian and Manuel Manuelian, a group of college students in Geneva, Switzerland, with the goal to gain Armenia's independence from the Ottoman Empire, which is part of Armenian national liberation movement . Its name, taken from its newspaper Hunchak, means "Bell" in English, and is taken by party members to represent "awakening, enlightenment, and freedom."
All seven founders of the party were Russian Armenian Marxist students who had left Russia to further their education in various universities of Western Europe. They were young, in their twenties, and supported by their affluent bourgeois families. They were influenced by Russian revolutionary ideology. Mariam Vardanian had worked with Russian revolutionaries in Saint Petersburg. For the purpose of furthering revolutionary activity in Turkish Armenia, they formed the Hunchakian Revolutionary Party in August, 1887.
Hunchakian leaders hung during the Armenian Genocide
Hunchak party fought many battles against the Ottoman Empire, to free the Armenian people from Turkish rule. One of Armenia's famous national heroes Andranik Ozanian, at first, joined the Hunchak party, but disagreement with party policies led Andranik to leave the Hunchak ranks and join the Dashnak party.
See also: Armenian rebellions in the Ottoman Empire
Kum Kapu Affray: (July 27, 1890)
Sasun Resistance: (1894)
Defense of Van: (June, 1896)
Khanasor Expedition: (July 25, 1897)
Zeitun Resistance: (August 30, 1914 - December 1, 1914 and March 25, 1915)
Van Resistance: (April 19, 1915 - May 6, 1915)
Shabin-Karahisar Resistance: (June 2, 1915 - June 30, 1915)
The Twenty Martyrs (June 15, 1915)
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The party also played role in establishment of Democratic Republic of Armenia, as party members took part in the Battle of Sardarapat, during the World War I at Caucasus Campaign, which defended the Armenian capital of Yerevan from Army of Islam of Ottoman Empire.
Activities in Lebanon
In the 1950s, it clashed, sometimes violently, with the Dashnak Party, due to tensions that escalated when the ARF elected Bishop Zareh as Catholicos of Cilicia, a move that was rejected by the Hunchaks. In the midst of increasing sectarian strife in the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, Lebanon's Armenian community began to close ranks, and in 1972, the Hunchakian Party ran a joint ticket with the Dashnaks. In 2000, the Hunchakian Party joined forces with Rafik Hariri's Dignity party, which swept the city of Beirut.
Modern
In the early 1990s, the party took part in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The party today forms part of the opposition "Justice" bloc.
This party is also active in Lebanon, where it competes for the six National Assembly seats reserved for ethnic Armenians. The party subscribes to a socialist ideology and advocates a planned economy for Lebanon. Social Democrat Hunchakian Party has an official newspaper in Lebanon which is the Ararad Daily Newspaper.
Affiliate organizations
The Hunchakian party has established affiliate organizations such as the AEBU which is an organization that helps with educational, health and social care, the Armenian Dkhrouhi Youth Association and HMM (Homenmen) which is a sporting organization (not to be confused with Homenetmen).
ARF - Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena (Dashnak)
Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena (Hay Heghapokhakan Dachnaktsoutioun o Հայ Հեղաբոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, Dashnak o HHD) è un partito politico armeno.
Il Dashnak è stato fondato nel 1890 a Tbilisi, in Georgia, da Christapor Mikaelian, marxista, Stepan Zorian, populista, e Simon Zavarian, bakuninista che di fatto guiderà il partito. È un partito d'ispirazione socialista ed è membro dell'Internazionale Socialista.
Il Dashnak nacque dalla fusione di vari gruppi politici armeni presenti in Turchia ed in vari stati dell'Est europeo. Fin dalla sua fondazione il partito mantenne una struttura molto decentrata, acquisendo connotati diversi a seconda dello stato o regione in cui era presente. Nel suo primo Programma, infatti, HHD, pur definendosi socialista, non propugnava né la costruzione di uno stato socialista, né la riunificazione armena con la nascita di una Repubblica indipendente. Nel IV Congresso generale, svoltosi nel 1907, HHD cercò di conciliare le diverse sensibilità sorte negli armeni della "diaspora". HHD pur essendo, infatti, influenzato dalla corrente marxista di stampo russo, accolse anche le istanze di democrazia e libertà individuali, che gli armeni presenti nell'Europa occidentali avevano fatto proprie. Nel corso degli anni, HHD divenne punto di riferimento per tutti coloro che volesse porre l'attenzione internazionale sulla questione armena.
Il Dashnak si pose come il principale partito armeno durante la breve esperienza (1917-1921) della Repubblica Democratica d'Armenia. Nel 1918 Hovhannès Khatchznouni di HHD formò il primo governo armeno, monocolore. Alle elezioni del 1919 HHD ottenne quasi il 90% dei consensi. Nel 1920, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk batté l'esercito armeno e HHD sotto la pressione dei bolscevichi diede vita ad un governo di coalizione, dividendosi, però in due tronconi. Priva del sostegno dei paesi occidentali l'Armenia fu facilmente occupata dai Sovietici nel 1921. HHD venne, così, bandito dalla vita politica.
Negli anni sessanta del XX secolo HHD si andò riorganizzando in tutti quei paesi dove erano emigrati gli armeni, prima per sfuggire al genocidio perpretato dal governo turco, poi all'occupazione sovietica. HHD finì, cosi, per assumere posizioni spiccatamente nazionaliste ed anti-comuniste.
Dopo l'indipendenza armena (1990), HHD divenne una delle principali forze di opposizione al Movimento Nazionale Panarmeno di Levon Ter-Petrossian, presidente armeno dal 1991 al 1998. Nel 1994 Ter-Petrossian bandì HHD dal Parlamento, accusandolo di essere un'orgnizzazione terrorista e facendone arrestare i leader. Il bando a HHD venne tolto solo nel 1998 quando Robert Kocharian succedette a Ter-Petrossian, costretto alle dimissioni dopo l'insuccesso in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Alle elezioni politiche del 1999, HHD conquistò l'8% dei voti ed elesse 8 deputati (5 nel proporzionale e 3 nel proporzionale), ponendosi all'opposizione del governo formato dagli esponenti del Blocco Unità, conservatori. Alle elezioni politiche armene del 2003 HHD incrementò i propri voti, ottenendo l'11,4% dei consensi, entrando, così, a far parte del governo, insieme al Partito Repubblicano Armeno, conservatori, e a Norma di Legge, centristi.
Alle elezioni politiche del 2007, HHD ottennne il 13,6% dei voti ed elesse 5 deputati in più.
Il Dashnak è stato fondato nel 1890 a Tbilisi, in Georgia, da Christapor Mikaelian, marxista, Stepan Zorian, populista, e Simon Zavarian, bakuninista che di fatto guiderà il partito. È un partito d'ispirazione socialista ed è membro dell'Internazionale Socialista.
Il Dashnak nacque dalla fusione di vari gruppi politici armeni presenti in Turchia ed in vari stati dell'Est europeo. Fin dalla sua fondazione il partito mantenne una struttura molto decentrata, acquisendo connotati diversi a seconda dello stato o regione in cui era presente. Nel suo primo Programma, infatti, HHD, pur definendosi socialista, non propugnava né la costruzione di uno stato socialista, né la riunificazione armena con la nascita di una Repubblica indipendente. Nel IV Congresso generale, svoltosi nel 1907, HHD cercò di conciliare le diverse sensibilità sorte negli armeni della "diaspora". HHD pur essendo, infatti, influenzato dalla corrente marxista di stampo russo, accolse anche le istanze di democrazia e libertà individuali, che gli armeni presenti nell'Europa occidentali avevano fatto proprie. Nel corso degli anni, HHD divenne punto di riferimento per tutti coloro che volesse porre l'attenzione internazionale sulla questione armena.
Il Dashnak si pose come il principale partito armeno durante la breve esperienza (1917-1921) della Repubblica Democratica d'Armenia. Nel 1918 Hovhannès Khatchznouni di HHD formò il primo governo armeno, monocolore. Alle elezioni del 1919 HHD ottenne quasi il 90% dei consensi. Nel 1920, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk batté l'esercito armeno e HHD sotto la pressione dei bolscevichi diede vita ad un governo di coalizione, dividendosi, però in due tronconi. Priva del sostegno dei paesi occidentali l'Armenia fu facilmente occupata dai Sovietici nel 1921. HHD venne, così, bandito dalla vita politica.
Negli anni sessanta del XX secolo HHD si andò riorganizzando in tutti quei paesi dove erano emigrati gli armeni, prima per sfuggire al genocidio perpretato dal governo turco, poi all'occupazione sovietica. HHD finì, cosi, per assumere posizioni spiccatamente nazionaliste ed anti-comuniste.
Dopo l'indipendenza armena (1990), HHD divenne una delle principali forze di opposizione al Movimento Nazionale Panarmeno di Levon Ter-Petrossian, presidente armeno dal 1991 al 1998. Nel 1994 Ter-Petrossian bandì HHD dal Parlamento, accusandolo di essere un'orgnizzazione terrorista e facendone arrestare i leader. Il bando a HHD venne tolto solo nel 1998 quando Robert Kocharian succedette a Ter-Petrossian, costretto alle dimissioni dopo l'insuccesso in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Alle elezioni politiche del 1999, HHD conquistò l'8% dei voti ed elesse 8 deputati (5 nel proporzionale e 3 nel proporzionale), ponendosi all'opposizione del governo formato dagli esponenti del Blocco Unità, conservatori. Alle elezioni politiche armene del 2003 HHD incrementò i propri voti, ottenendo l'11,4% dei consensi, entrando, così, a far parte del governo, insieme al Partito Repubblicano Armeno, conservatori, e a Norma di Legge, centristi.
Alle elezioni politiche del 2007, HHD ottennne il 13,6% dei voti ed elesse 5 deputati in più.
HHK - Partito Repubblicano d'Armenia
Il Partito Repubblicano d'Armenia (Armeno: Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցութուն, HHK), è un partito politico armeno.
HHK è un partito conservatore, fondato nel 1990. HHK si considera erede del Partito del Pellegrinaggio Religioso Nazionale e del Partito Nazionale Unito.
Ruolo importante nella fondazione del partito è stato svolto dall' Armata dell'Indipendenza, formazione politico-militare che si impegnò alla fine degli anni '80 del XX secolo per l'indipendenza dell'Armenia dal potentato russo. Dal 1990 al 1997 leader del partito fu Ashot Navasardyan, che venne sostituito da Andranik Margaryan.
Nel 1992 HHK prese parte alla coalizione Alleanza Nazionale, che aveva tra i punti qualificanti la risoluzione della questione dell'Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), regione ad ampia maggiornaza armena nel territorio dell'Azerbaijan. Nel 1995, HHK prese parte all'Unione pre-elettorale "Repubblica", che si sciolse poco dopo a cusa delle divergenze circa la questione dell'Artsakh. Nel 1998 HHK ha visto l'adesione di alcuni esponenti dell' Unione dei Volontari Yerkrapah. Nel 1999, HHK diede vita all'alleanza pre-elettorale "Unità". Le elezioni del 1999 segnarono la svolta nella vita del partito. Il HHK elesse infatti 30 deputati, contro i 5 del 1995 e l'unico del 1990. La coalizione "Unità" ottenne la maggioranza dei seggi e Vazgen Sargsyan del HHK divenne primo ministro. Nell'ottobre del 1999 Vazgen Sargsyan venne assasinato, HHK nominò, allora, primo ministro Aram Sargsyan, fratello di Vazgen.
Alle elezioni del 2003 il partito raggiunse il 23,5% dei consensi ed elesse 40 deputati (17 nel maggioritario e 23 nel proporzionale). In tal modo Andranik Margaryan, leader di HHK, è divenuto capo del governo, con il sostengno della Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena (nazionalisti) e Norma di Legge (centristi). È bene precisare che, a segutio delle elezioni del 2003, nel Parlamento armeno ben 42 deputati su 134 furono eletti come indipendenti, non essendo affiliati ad alcun partito di rilievo nazionale.
Alle legislative del 2007 HHK ottenne il 33,9%, con un incremento di 10 punti percentuali, ed eleggendo ben 33 deputati in più. Le elezioni del 2007 videro il numero dei partiti presenti in Parlamento ridursi a 5 e la netta riduazione dei deputati indipendenti (17).
Nel Programma del partito si legge che:
* HHK è "un partito nazional-conservatore";
* Gli obiettivi e l'azione di HHK partono dall'idea dell'eternità della Nazione e della
Patria Avendo riguardo al ruolo della Chiesa Apostolica Armena nella vita spirituale del popolo armeno, nella conservazione del linguaggio e della cultura armeni e nella conservazione dell'unità della nazione armena, HHK considera la Chiesa come parte integrante dell'essenza armena, un'entità nazionale che è chiamata a servire la Nazione e Dio con il suo credo ed il suo impegno";
* La politica economica dello stato armeno deve basarsi sull'esperienza internazionale, tenendo presente le peculiarità nazionali. Lo stato deve creare condizioni favorevoli per l'efficiente attività dei settori privato e pubblico, agendo come garante delle relazioni economiche liberali e del miglioramento della diversità di strutture di proprietà";
* La base della società armena è la famiglia tradizionale".
L'attuale Presidente dell'Armenia é Serzh Sargsyan.
HHK è un partito conservatore, fondato nel 1990. HHK si considera erede del Partito del Pellegrinaggio Religioso Nazionale e del Partito Nazionale Unito.
Ruolo importante nella fondazione del partito è stato svolto dall' Armata dell'Indipendenza, formazione politico-militare che si impegnò alla fine degli anni '80 del XX secolo per l'indipendenza dell'Armenia dal potentato russo. Dal 1990 al 1997 leader del partito fu Ashot Navasardyan, che venne sostituito da Andranik Margaryan.
Nel 1992 HHK prese parte alla coalizione Alleanza Nazionale, che aveva tra i punti qualificanti la risoluzione della questione dell'Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), regione ad ampia maggiornaza armena nel territorio dell'Azerbaijan. Nel 1995, HHK prese parte all'Unione pre-elettorale "Repubblica", che si sciolse poco dopo a cusa delle divergenze circa la questione dell'Artsakh. Nel 1998 HHK ha visto l'adesione di alcuni esponenti dell' Unione dei Volontari Yerkrapah. Nel 1999, HHK diede vita all'alleanza pre-elettorale "Unità". Le elezioni del 1999 segnarono la svolta nella vita del partito. Il HHK elesse infatti 30 deputati, contro i 5 del 1995 e l'unico del 1990. La coalizione "Unità" ottenne la maggioranza dei seggi e Vazgen Sargsyan del HHK divenne primo ministro. Nell'ottobre del 1999 Vazgen Sargsyan venne assasinato, HHK nominò, allora, primo ministro Aram Sargsyan, fratello di Vazgen.
Alle elezioni del 2003 il partito raggiunse il 23,5% dei consensi ed elesse 40 deputati (17 nel maggioritario e 23 nel proporzionale). In tal modo Andranik Margaryan, leader di HHK, è divenuto capo del governo, con il sostengno della Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena (nazionalisti) e Norma di Legge (centristi). È bene precisare che, a segutio delle elezioni del 2003, nel Parlamento armeno ben 42 deputati su 134 furono eletti come indipendenti, non essendo affiliati ad alcun partito di rilievo nazionale.
Alle legislative del 2007 HHK ottenne il 33,9%, con un incremento di 10 punti percentuali, ed eleggendo ben 33 deputati in più. Le elezioni del 2007 videro il numero dei partiti presenti in Parlamento ridursi a 5 e la netta riduazione dei deputati indipendenti (17).
Nel Programma del partito si legge che:
* HHK è "un partito nazional-conservatore";
* Gli obiettivi e l'azione di HHK partono dall'idea dell'eternità della Nazione e della
Patria Avendo riguardo al ruolo della Chiesa Apostolica Armena nella vita spirituale del popolo armeno, nella conservazione del linguaggio e della cultura armeni e nella conservazione dell'unità della nazione armena, HHK considera la Chiesa come parte integrante dell'essenza armena, un'entità nazionale che è chiamata a servire la Nazione e Dio con il suo credo ed il suo impegno";
* La politica economica dello stato armeno deve basarsi sull'esperienza internazionale, tenendo presente le peculiarità nazionali. Lo stato deve creare condizioni favorevoli per l'efficiente attività dei settori privato e pubblico, agendo come garante delle relazioni economiche liberali e del miglioramento della diversità di strutture di proprietà";
* La base della società armena è la famiglia tradizionale".
L'attuale Presidente dell'Armenia é Serzh Sargsyan.
giovedì 10 luglio 2008
mercoledì 9 luglio 2008
Istituto di Studi con fondi turchi
Discussione su Genocidio sconvolge l'Istituto di Studi turco.
da Susan Kinzie
Washington Post / 08 Luglio 2008
Le pubblicazioni recenti relative a "Come caratterizzare le
uccisioni di massa degli Armeni nel 1915" ha intorbidito le
relazioni USA-TURCHIA , creando anche una controversia
tra politici e libertà accademica presso un'Istituto sito in
Georgetown University.
Molti membri dell'Istituto di Studi turco hanno dato le
dimmissioni, protestando l'espropriazione di un presidente
direttivo, il quale ha scritto che gli scolari dovrebbero svolgere
delle ricerche su che cosa caratterizza un Genocidio Armeno,
piuttosto che evitarlo.
Il Prof. Donald Quataert dell'Università di Binghamton, si è
dimesso dal Consiglio di Amministrazione, in quanto
l'Ambasciatore turco degli USA gli ha detto di aver infuriato
qualche leader politico ad Ankara i quali intendono revocare
i fondi concessi all'Istituto.
Un'Associazione di Studiosi Medio Orientali, ha scritto
una lettera in Maggio all'Istituto, al Primo Ministro turco
ed ad altri Leaders, chiedendo la riammissione del
Prof. Quataert al Consiglio d'Amministrazione e la fondazione
di una Fiduciaria irrevocabile dove trattenere i fondi destinati
all'Istituto per evitare influenze politiche.
L'Ambasciatore della Repubblica della Turchia,
Sig. H. E. Nabi Sensoy, con una dichiarazione scritta ha negato
di avere un ruolo nelle dimmissioni del Prof. Quataert e che
quanto dichiarato dal Professore è infondato.
Tale conrtoversia dimostra la tensione tra "soldi" e "borsa
di studio" e che tipo di impatto può avere sulla conoscenza storica.
Centinaie di miliaia di Armeni furono uccisi durante il crollo
dell'Impero Ottomano e della I° Guerra Mondiale. Gli Armeni
e i Turchi fortemente sono in discordia se si trattò di una
campagna di genocidio o di una guerra civile nella quale furono
uccisi anche tanti Turchi.
In autunno, quando la Sig.ra Nancy Pelosi, Democratica di
California, ha presentato un documento per caratterizzare
gli eventi dal 1915 al 1917 come genocidio, l'Amministrazione
Bush lo ha combattuto e tanti segretari di difesa hanno
ammonito che Leaders turchi avrebbero limitato l'accesso
USA alle basi militari necessari per la guerra in Irak.
L'Istituto di Studi turco, fondato nel 1983, è indipendente
dall'Università di Georgetown, ma il Direttore esecutivo
David Cuthell insegna quì come scambio per spazio nel campus.
Julie Green Bataille, una portavoce dell'Università, ha scritto
in una e-mail dicendo che "Dobbiamo rivedere questo argomento
come coerente con l'importanza della libertà accademica e il fatto
che l'Istituto è fondato e governato indipendentemente".
I fondi dell'Istituto ammonta a 3 Millioni di Dollari concessi
dalla Turchia. Il Prof. Quataert ha detto che , qualche anno
fà i membri dell'Amministrazione pensavano che si trattasse
di un credito coperto, ma con sorpresa hanno constatato che
si trattava di un regalo che poteva essere revocato dal
Governo turco.
Quataert, professore di storia, ha detto che l'Istituto ha una
dottrina consolidata senza influenze politiche. La selezione di
studi da sostenere viene fatta da un Comitato di Accademici
e poi approvata dall'Amministrazione. Mai prima aveva pensato
che le applicazioni approvate potessero essere giudicate in altro
modo che nei loro meriti accademici.
Fonte: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/07/08/genocide_dispute_unsettles_turkish_studies_institute/
da Susan Kinzie
Washington Post / 08 Luglio 2008
Le pubblicazioni recenti relative a "Come caratterizzare le
uccisioni di massa degli Armeni nel 1915" ha intorbidito le
relazioni USA-TURCHIA , creando anche una controversia
tra politici e libertà accademica presso un'Istituto sito in
Georgetown University.
Molti membri dell'Istituto di Studi turco hanno dato le
dimmissioni, protestando l'espropriazione di un presidente
direttivo, il quale ha scritto che gli scolari dovrebbero svolgere
delle ricerche su che cosa caratterizza un Genocidio Armeno,
piuttosto che evitarlo.
Il Prof. Donald Quataert dell'Università di Binghamton, si è
dimesso dal Consiglio di Amministrazione, in quanto
l'Ambasciatore turco degli USA gli ha detto di aver infuriato
qualche leader politico ad Ankara i quali intendono revocare
i fondi concessi all'Istituto.
Un'Associazione di Studiosi Medio Orientali, ha scritto
una lettera in Maggio all'Istituto, al Primo Ministro turco
ed ad altri Leaders, chiedendo la riammissione del
Prof. Quataert al Consiglio d'Amministrazione e la fondazione
di una Fiduciaria irrevocabile dove trattenere i fondi destinati
all'Istituto per evitare influenze politiche.
L'Ambasciatore della Repubblica della Turchia,
Sig. H. E. Nabi Sensoy, con una dichiarazione scritta ha negato
di avere un ruolo nelle dimmissioni del Prof. Quataert e che
quanto dichiarato dal Professore è infondato.
Tale conrtoversia dimostra la tensione tra "soldi" e "borsa
di studio" e che tipo di impatto può avere sulla conoscenza storica.
Centinaie di miliaia di Armeni furono uccisi durante il crollo
dell'Impero Ottomano e della I° Guerra Mondiale. Gli Armeni
e i Turchi fortemente sono in discordia se si trattò di una
campagna di genocidio o di una guerra civile nella quale furono
uccisi anche tanti Turchi.
In autunno, quando la Sig.ra Nancy Pelosi, Democratica di
California, ha presentato un documento per caratterizzare
gli eventi dal 1915 al 1917 come genocidio, l'Amministrazione
Bush lo ha combattuto e tanti segretari di difesa hanno
ammonito che Leaders turchi avrebbero limitato l'accesso
USA alle basi militari necessari per la guerra in Irak.
L'Istituto di Studi turco, fondato nel 1983, è indipendente
dall'Università di Georgetown, ma il Direttore esecutivo
David Cuthell insegna quì come scambio per spazio nel campus.
Julie Green Bataille, una portavoce dell'Università, ha scritto
in una e-mail dicendo che "Dobbiamo rivedere questo argomento
come coerente con l'importanza della libertà accademica e il fatto
che l'Istituto è fondato e governato indipendentemente".
I fondi dell'Istituto ammonta a 3 Millioni di Dollari concessi
dalla Turchia. Il Prof. Quataert ha detto che , qualche anno
fà i membri dell'Amministrazione pensavano che si trattasse
di un credito coperto, ma con sorpresa hanno constatato che
si trattava di un regalo che poteva essere revocato dal
Governo turco.
Quataert, professore di storia, ha detto che l'Istituto ha una
dottrina consolidata senza influenze politiche. La selezione di
studi da sostenere viene fatta da un Comitato di Accademici
e poi approvata dall'Amministrazione. Mai prima aveva pensato
che le applicazioni approvate potessero essere giudicate in altro
modo che nei loro meriti accademici.
Fonte: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/07/08/genocide_dispute_unsettles_turkish_studies_institute/
lunedì 7 luglio 2008
That's How It Was
"That's How It Was"
Narrated by Eitan Belkind, member of the NILIPublished by the Ministry of Defense of Israel, 1979, pages 77-78, 115-116, 118-120,124, 127
Eitan Belkind (1887 – 1979) was born in Rishon LeZion and graduated from Turkish military high school. During WWI he participated in a team fighting locust invasions. Together with a few other outraged witnesses of the Armenian massacres, he founded NILI, an organization, which collaborated with the British against the Turks.…The majority of the Jews in Israel, the Old Yishuv and the newcomers alike, kept their non-Turkish passports in order to be protected by the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire. The Capitulations were privileges granted to European citizens resident in Turkey in exchange for assistance given by the European nations to the disintegrating Empire. During the war the Turkish military powers could not agree with the fact, that dozens of thousands people from hostile countries having foreign citizenship lived in Israel(the newcomers were mainly from the Russian Empire fighting against the Turks). The Turks demanded that the Jews either acquire the Ottoman citizenship or leave Israel. Bilium (the first settlers in Palestine coming from Russia) and other founders of the first Aliyah led by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, made a public appeal to the Jews, encouraging them to adopt Ottoman citizenship. However, very few people responded, as most Jews were afraid that once they would get Turkish passports,they would be drafted to the Turkish Army, something the Jews greatly feared. ManyJews preferred to be exiled from Israel to serve in the Turkish Army. On Friday in late March 1915, about 10000 Jewish were exiled from Israel. They were taken to Jaffa and forced to board ships belonging to neutral states such as Italy, USA, etc. The deportation was carried out with great cruelty. The deportees left all their property behind, women and children were hurled into the ships. It was a tragic and oppressing sight. Avshalam Feinberg, who witnessed the deportations, went to Jerusalem to the Anti-Locust Department, and encouraged Aharon Aharonson to start an uprising; because the Jewish settlements were on the brink of annihilation. Avshalom insisted that, in his opinion, that it had been the Germans that advised Turkey to deport the Jews....”We must help the English and the French to win the war, -said Avshalom, -otherwise if the Germans win, God forbid, our country will become a German colony as part of Germany’s slogan Drang nach Osten plan. Germany has no settlements, with a population of over 85 million; it is looking for new lands. Israel is one of its targets the Germans had already started to populate it, masquerading as the Knights Templar”.
THE EXTERMINATION OF THE ARMENIANS...
On the second day of our journey, we saw a corpse flowing in the Euphrates. We were surprised but the soldier accompanying us reassured us that this was a body of an Armenian. We found out that there was a camp nearby, on the other side of theEuphrates where Armenians deported from Armenia were being held. Our friend Shirinyan turned white and asked us to cross the Euphrates and go to the Armenian camp.We found several hundred people in the camp living in small handmade huts. The territory was clean; the huts were built on one line. We passed by huts and looked inside. We saw women and children. In one of the huts, Shirinyan found one of his aunts, who told that all men had been killed; only women and children remained. Shirinyan had no idea what had happened to his nation. Shocked, he began to cry on his aunt’s shoulder, but Jacob Baker and I tried to cheer him up and said that we still had our duty to do. We went on; the further we traveled the more floating corpses of Armenians we saw. After six days, we reached Der-el-Zor, an important city of the region. We paid a visit to the military Commandant of the city, the Circassian Colonel Ahmab Bey. We presented our papers and explained the purpose of our journey. My friend Jacob Baker was given an accommodation, but I and my friend Shirinyan were arrested. Later Jacob Baker visited us and said that we were detained for being Armenians. It turned out the Commandant believed I was also Armenian my first name Eitan, was written in Turkish [which then used Arabic characters – Translator’s note] with the sound “i” was presented by two dots subscript, the character “t” was written with two dots superscript, so the Commander read my name as Etian, which sounded perfectly Armenian.“No matter how much I tried to explain things to the Commandant,-said Baker,-I could not persuade him. I have sent a telegram to the chief in Damascus”. I was kept in custody for two days until a telegram with order to release me. I do not know what happened to our friend Shirinyan. Der-el-Zor, was a military centre, so it had a military hospital lead by a Jewish doctor Bhor (?) and a Jewish pharmacist called Arto. There we found out that Ahmad Bey, was the commander of Circassian troops mobilized for exterminating the Jews. The doctor and the pharmacist invited us to their roomy house, told us that all Armenian men had been killed on the way from their homes in Anatolia, and beautiful women and girls were left to the mercy of Bedouins. As soon as we found horses to ride and soldiers to accompany us, Jacob Baker went on his way to Mosul, I set out to my region, along the river Kibur (?). At night before departure we heard terrible, heart-rending female screams. The Armenian camp was one kilometer away from our house. The screaming continued all night. We asked what was happening, they told us that children were being taken from their mothers to live in dormitories and continue their education. However in the morning when we set off and crossed the bridge across Euphrates, I was shocked to see the riverred with blood and beheaded corpses of children floating on the water. The scene was horrible, as there was nothing we could do. After three days riding, I reached Aram- Naharaim where I witnessed a terrible tragedy. There were two camps next to each other, one Armenian and one Circassian. The Circassians were “busy” with exterminating the Armenians. Therewere also Arab sheikhs, who selected beautiful Armenian girls as their wives. Two women approached me and gave their photos to me. Should I ever get to Aleppo and find their families (whether their families were alive, was a question), the women asked me to send their greetings to whomever I find there. The Circassian officer seeing me talk to the two Armenian women ordered me to leave but I stayed to see what would happen to the Armenians. The Circassian soldiers ordered the Armenians to gather dry grass and pile it into a tall pyramid, then they tied up all the Armenians who were there, almost 5000 souls, their hands tied together and put them in a circle around the pile of grass and set it a fire in a blaze,which rose up to the heaven together with the screams of the wretched people, who were being burned to death. I fled from the place I could not stand this horrifying sight. I rode as fast as I could, wishing to get as far from the place as possible. After two hours of crazy gallop I could still hear creams of the poor victims until they died out. In two days I returned to that place and saw the burned bodies of thousands people. I approached the Sandjer Mountains where Yezidim lived. At the foot of the mountain, on my way to the city Urfa in the north, I witnessed several mass exterminations of the Armenians. People were wretched, desperate to madness. In one of the houses I saw an Armenian woman cooking her own child’s body in a pot. All the roads were strewn with the corpses of murdered Armenians.
A JEWISH WOMAN IN A SHEIKH’S TENT...
I went to the sheikh’s tent and was very happy to find my friend Jacob Baker. At midnight after the meal was over, the sheikh went to his tent and we stayed back. There was a little boy watching over the fire. Jacob Baker and I spoke French. I told him about the things that happened to me in Urfa and about Armenian pogroms that I saw on my way and he told me about his work in Mosul. We sat talking late in the night, when suddenly the child whom we mistook for a Bedouin told us in French that he and his mother are Armenians and the chief of the tribe had saved them from extermination. His mother became the sheikh’s wife and he helped welcoming guests. The child went on and told us that the chief of the other tribe had a Jewish wife taken from the family of the city Caesarea in Anatolia. Her husband had been killed and the sheikh took her. We were shocked upon hearing this and asked the boy whether we could meet the woman. In spite of the danger the child got into the tent where the Jewess was. Everyone in the tent was asleep and the woman managed to get unnoticed. She was 25 and very beautiful. She told us her surname was Biram, a typical Turkish name. Her family lived in the Armenian quarter of the city and when they were taking the Armenians, they also took this woman with her husband and child despite all their protests. Her husband and child had been killed but she was rescued by the Arab sheikh who took her as his wife. We promised to take care of her....Two weeks later I turned towards the Euphrates and hurried back to Der-el-Zor. In the post I found a letter from Haim Khanum in Constantinople (the main city of Turkey), who asked me not to interfere in the case of Mrs. Biram, as she had connections with the killings of the Armenians that was a military secret. Besides I sent a letter to my niece Tsilya, who was a student in Berlin, in answer to my letter sent by German military mail, where I described everything that had happened to theArmenians. I got my letter back with a request never to write to her about such things again, to beware of the German military mail, because my letters might get opened by censors. In Der-el-Zor I stayed with the pharmacist Arto, who now had five Armenian wives whom he married so as to save their lives. He told me that about 30 Armenian women were working in the military hospital this had been Doctor Bhor’s way of rescuing them. I must mention that all the time I was in Aram Naharaim, I was unable to eat the splendid fish from the Euphrates, which I liked very much, remembering that those fishes had fed off the corpses of murdered Armenians, including young children. I was also unable to have sexual relationship with the Armenian girls who were offered me by Doctor Bhor and pharmacist Arto. While still in Damascus... I gave my records about the Armenian massacres to Josef Lishansky. When we returned testing station I stayed with Sara. She told me that my records of Armenian massacres, which she had sent to Egypt [to the British-J.S.], had made a great impression....In my trips in the south of Syria and Iraq I saw with my own eyes the extermination of the Armenian nation, I watched the atrocious murders, and saw children’s heads cut off and watched the burning of innocent people whose only wrong doing was to be Armenian. I also suffered horrible torments in prison; and my dear brother Neiman and his friend Josef were killed. And yet despite all this, I will not feel true to myself unless I write down what I carry in my heart. I pitied the Turks, who fell so mean at the end of their power in the East because of collaborating with the Germans. On the advice of the Germans the Turks perpetrated brutal massacres of the Armenians with the hands of the Circassian Muslims fanatics.
© Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
Narrated by Eitan Belkind, member of the NILIPublished by the Ministry of Defense of Israel, 1979, pages 77-78, 115-116, 118-120,124, 127
Eitan Belkind (1887 – 1979) was born in Rishon LeZion and graduated from Turkish military high school. During WWI he participated in a team fighting locust invasions. Together with a few other outraged witnesses of the Armenian massacres, he founded NILI, an organization, which collaborated with the British against the Turks.…The majority of the Jews in Israel, the Old Yishuv and the newcomers alike, kept their non-Turkish passports in order to be protected by the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire. The Capitulations were privileges granted to European citizens resident in Turkey in exchange for assistance given by the European nations to the disintegrating Empire. During the war the Turkish military powers could not agree with the fact, that dozens of thousands people from hostile countries having foreign citizenship lived in Israel(the newcomers were mainly from the Russian Empire fighting against the Turks). The Turks demanded that the Jews either acquire the Ottoman citizenship or leave Israel. Bilium (the first settlers in Palestine coming from Russia) and other founders of the first Aliyah led by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, made a public appeal to the Jews, encouraging them to adopt Ottoman citizenship. However, very few people responded, as most Jews were afraid that once they would get Turkish passports,they would be drafted to the Turkish Army, something the Jews greatly feared. ManyJews preferred to be exiled from Israel to serve in the Turkish Army. On Friday in late March 1915, about 10000 Jewish were exiled from Israel. They were taken to Jaffa and forced to board ships belonging to neutral states such as Italy, USA, etc. The deportation was carried out with great cruelty. The deportees left all their property behind, women and children were hurled into the ships. It was a tragic and oppressing sight. Avshalam Feinberg, who witnessed the deportations, went to Jerusalem to the Anti-Locust Department, and encouraged Aharon Aharonson to start an uprising; because the Jewish settlements were on the brink of annihilation. Avshalom insisted that, in his opinion, that it had been the Germans that advised Turkey to deport the Jews....”We must help the English and the French to win the war, -said Avshalom, -otherwise if the Germans win, God forbid, our country will become a German colony as part of Germany’s slogan Drang nach Osten plan. Germany has no settlements, with a population of over 85 million; it is looking for new lands. Israel is one of its targets the Germans had already started to populate it, masquerading as the Knights Templar”.
THE EXTERMINATION OF THE ARMENIANS...
On the second day of our journey, we saw a corpse flowing in the Euphrates. We were surprised but the soldier accompanying us reassured us that this was a body of an Armenian. We found out that there was a camp nearby, on the other side of theEuphrates where Armenians deported from Armenia were being held. Our friend Shirinyan turned white and asked us to cross the Euphrates and go to the Armenian camp.We found several hundred people in the camp living in small handmade huts. The territory was clean; the huts were built on one line. We passed by huts and looked inside. We saw women and children. In one of the huts, Shirinyan found one of his aunts, who told that all men had been killed; only women and children remained. Shirinyan had no idea what had happened to his nation. Shocked, he began to cry on his aunt’s shoulder, but Jacob Baker and I tried to cheer him up and said that we still had our duty to do. We went on; the further we traveled the more floating corpses of Armenians we saw. After six days, we reached Der-el-Zor, an important city of the region. We paid a visit to the military Commandant of the city, the Circassian Colonel Ahmab Bey. We presented our papers and explained the purpose of our journey. My friend Jacob Baker was given an accommodation, but I and my friend Shirinyan were arrested. Later Jacob Baker visited us and said that we were detained for being Armenians. It turned out the Commandant believed I was also Armenian my first name Eitan, was written in Turkish [which then used Arabic characters – Translator’s note] with the sound “i” was presented by two dots subscript, the character “t” was written with two dots superscript, so the Commander read my name as Etian, which sounded perfectly Armenian.“No matter how much I tried to explain things to the Commandant,-said Baker,-I could not persuade him. I have sent a telegram to the chief in Damascus”. I was kept in custody for two days until a telegram with order to release me. I do not know what happened to our friend Shirinyan. Der-el-Zor, was a military centre, so it had a military hospital lead by a Jewish doctor Bhor (?) and a Jewish pharmacist called Arto. There we found out that Ahmad Bey, was the commander of Circassian troops mobilized for exterminating the Jews. The doctor and the pharmacist invited us to their roomy house, told us that all Armenian men had been killed on the way from their homes in Anatolia, and beautiful women and girls were left to the mercy of Bedouins. As soon as we found horses to ride and soldiers to accompany us, Jacob Baker went on his way to Mosul, I set out to my region, along the river Kibur (?). At night before departure we heard terrible, heart-rending female screams. The Armenian camp was one kilometer away from our house. The screaming continued all night. We asked what was happening, they told us that children were being taken from their mothers to live in dormitories and continue their education. However in the morning when we set off and crossed the bridge across Euphrates, I was shocked to see the riverred with blood and beheaded corpses of children floating on the water. The scene was horrible, as there was nothing we could do. After three days riding, I reached Aram- Naharaim where I witnessed a terrible tragedy. There were two camps next to each other, one Armenian and one Circassian. The Circassians were “busy” with exterminating the Armenians. Therewere also Arab sheikhs, who selected beautiful Armenian girls as their wives. Two women approached me and gave their photos to me. Should I ever get to Aleppo and find their families (whether their families were alive, was a question), the women asked me to send their greetings to whomever I find there. The Circassian officer seeing me talk to the two Armenian women ordered me to leave but I stayed to see what would happen to the Armenians. The Circassian soldiers ordered the Armenians to gather dry grass and pile it into a tall pyramid, then they tied up all the Armenians who were there, almost 5000 souls, their hands tied together and put them in a circle around the pile of grass and set it a fire in a blaze,which rose up to the heaven together with the screams of the wretched people, who were being burned to death. I fled from the place I could not stand this horrifying sight. I rode as fast as I could, wishing to get as far from the place as possible. After two hours of crazy gallop I could still hear creams of the poor victims until they died out. In two days I returned to that place and saw the burned bodies of thousands people. I approached the Sandjer Mountains where Yezidim lived. At the foot of the mountain, on my way to the city Urfa in the north, I witnessed several mass exterminations of the Armenians. People were wretched, desperate to madness. In one of the houses I saw an Armenian woman cooking her own child’s body in a pot. All the roads were strewn with the corpses of murdered Armenians.
A JEWISH WOMAN IN A SHEIKH’S TENT...
I went to the sheikh’s tent and was very happy to find my friend Jacob Baker. At midnight after the meal was over, the sheikh went to his tent and we stayed back. There was a little boy watching over the fire. Jacob Baker and I spoke French. I told him about the things that happened to me in Urfa and about Armenian pogroms that I saw on my way and he told me about his work in Mosul. We sat talking late in the night, when suddenly the child whom we mistook for a Bedouin told us in French that he and his mother are Armenians and the chief of the tribe had saved them from extermination. His mother became the sheikh’s wife and he helped welcoming guests. The child went on and told us that the chief of the other tribe had a Jewish wife taken from the family of the city Caesarea in Anatolia. Her husband had been killed and the sheikh took her. We were shocked upon hearing this and asked the boy whether we could meet the woman. In spite of the danger the child got into the tent where the Jewess was. Everyone in the tent was asleep and the woman managed to get unnoticed. She was 25 and very beautiful. She told us her surname was Biram, a typical Turkish name. Her family lived in the Armenian quarter of the city and when they were taking the Armenians, they also took this woman with her husband and child despite all their protests. Her husband and child had been killed but she was rescued by the Arab sheikh who took her as his wife. We promised to take care of her....Two weeks later I turned towards the Euphrates and hurried back to Der-el-Zor. In the post I found a letter from Haim Khanum in Constantinople (the main city of Turkey), who asked me not to interfere in the case of Mrs. Biram, as she had connections with the killings of the Armenians that was a military secret. Besides I sent a letter to my niece Tsilya, who was a student in Berlin, in answer to my letter sent by German military mail, where I described everything that had happened to theArmenians. I got my letter back with a request never to write to her about such things again, to beware of the German military mail, because my letters might get opened by censors. In Der-el-Zor I stayed with the pharmacist Arto, who now had five Armenian wives whom he married so as to save their lives. He told me that about 30 Armenian women were working in the military hospital this had been Doctor Bhor’s way of rescuing them. I must mention that all the time I was in Aram Naharaim, I was unable to eat the splendid fish from the Euphrates, which I liked very much, remembering that those fishes had fed off the corpses of murdered Armenians, including young children. I was also unable to have sexual relationship with the Armenian girls who were offered me by Doctor Bhor and pharmacist Arto. While still in Damascus... I gave my records about the Armenian massacres to Josef Lishansky. When we returned testing station I stayed with Sara. She told me that my records of Armenian massacres, which she had sent to Egypt [to the British-J.S.], had made a great impression....In my trips in the south of Syria and Iraq I saw with my own eyes the extermination of the Armenian nation, I watched the atrocious murders, and saw children’s heads cut off and watched the burning of innocent people whose only wrong doing was to be Armenian. I also suffered horrible torments in prison; and my dear brother Neiman and his friend Josef were killed. And yet despite all this, I will not feel true to myself unless I write down what I carry in my heart. I pitied the Turks, who fell so mean at the end of their power in the East because of collaborating with the Germans. On the advice of the Germans the Turks perpetrated brutal massacres of the Armenians with the hands of the Circassian Muslims fanatics.
© Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute
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