«Apparently now Ararat’s the problem»

Vahe H Apelian

 

In this interconnected virtual world, it was a friend in Lebanon, who brought to my attention and asked what do I make from ANCA’s director Aram Suren Hamparian’s posting that stated - « Apparently now Ararat’s the “problem.” »

At first glance I thought Aram Hamparian implied a veiled rebuke of the PM Nikol Pashinyan (NP). He is known for his stand against the NP government. He once posted a remark saying that “Yerevan and Ankara are in cahoots against Armenia.”! I responded to his posting then I deleted it. I did not want to get caught commenting on the Facebook. Here I share my thoughts.

Aram Suren Hamparian is the director of ANCA and hence its voice. His remark is a veiled attempt to stir ANCA proponents against the NP government. 

Bear with me as I  substantiate my take of  Aram Hamparian's posting  -« Apparently now Ararat’s the “problem.” »

In the not-too-distant past, PM Nikol Pashinyan once said that when asked, people respond Ararat as the highest peak when in fact the mount Aragats is the highest peak of Armenia.

Aram Hamparian knows, I would be very much surprised if he does not know the rudimentary of our history from the First Republic and on - that Mount Ararat is in the historic Surmalu region. Its name is said to have derived from the Armenian word Surb Mari (Սուրբ Մարի-Saint Mary). I quote Wikipedia: “Surmalu was briefly governed by the First Republic of Armenia from 1918 to 1920, until it was occupied in 1920 and formally ceded to Turkey”. In short, the first republic ceded the Surmalu region because they had to.  The Turks named the holy mountain of ours in the Surmula region, Ağrı Dağı. Apparently, the Turks do not have problem hosting Ararat Mirzoyan, Armenia’s FM. 

On September 10, 2008, the PM of Turkey Abdullah Gül arrived in Yerevan and attended a Turkish-Armenian football game with president Serzh Sargsyan. The Armenian spectators were forbidden to wear shirts that depicted Mount Ararat. Surely, Armenians have to do what they need to do. Aram Hamparian knew this as did the Armenian media. But Aram Hamparian did not post such ambiguous ill intended veiled comment, when president Serzh Sargsyan felt that Ararat can be a problem. ARF was with or in the Sargsyan’s government.

I do not understand why ARF in the Diaspora is opposed to the democratically elected government of Armenia and PM Nikol Pashinyan. Supreme Body (Kerakoun Marmin) in Armenia, according to ARF by laws is the body that oversees ARF in Armenia, as Shiragian Central Committee does for ARF on the Eastern U.S., east of the Mississippi River. Kars is the ARF central committee on the West Coast.  

It is interesting to note that the 7 seats in the 2018 National Assembly consisting of 105 seats were held by ARF, 58 Seats by the Republican Party, 31 seats by the Tsarukyan Alliance and 9 seats by the Way-Out Alliance (Yelk). 53 seats constituted the majority. Even though the Republican Party had the clear majority, but Serzh Sargsyan formed his government with ARF. 

On April 23, 2018, Serzh Sargsyan resigned as the PM, after meeting with Nikol Pachinyan at the Marriott Hotel in down town Yerevan, a day earlier. On May 1, 2018, a snap election took place to elect the next PM. ARF sided with Nikol Pachinyan who could only muster 45 votes and hence was not elected as the PM. A week later, on May 8, 2018, another snap election took place by law and this time around Nikol Pachinyan got 59 votes. Again, ARF voted for him. Without the 7 ARF votes NP would not have been elected as PM.  Way Out Alliance, Tsarukyan Alliance, and also some Republicans also voted for NP as the next PM.

Subsequently ARF became part of the NP government but not long after the two had a falling. That was in 2018, way before the 2020 disastrous war Armenia lost under NP's watch.  I do not know why the falling was. Since that day ARF in Armenia pitted itself against the PM and so did Diaspora ARF and the rank and file followed suit.

From Tuesday May 8, 2018 to Wednesday January 31, 2024,   5 years, 8 months and 28 days have gone by, to  Aram Hamparian's posting that  – «Apparently now Ararat’s the “problem"»