Today, Tatul Hakopyan wrote that August 1, can be celebrated in Armenia as Parliamentarianism Day, because the first session of the first ever Armenian National Council/Parliament took place on that day in 1918. Vaհe H Apelian
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| Courtesy Tatul Hakobyan |
I quote Tatul Hakobyan: “The first legislative body in the history of Armenia, the parliament, was formed in the summer of 1918, two months after the proclamation of the First Republic. It was also the first legislative body in the history of Armenia that was formed not by elections, but as a result of political agreement.
The first parliament, which bore the name of Council, was formed by tripling the members of the Armenian National Council, as well as by involving 6 Turks (in today's terminology, Azerbaijanis) and one Russian and one Yezidi, for a total of 46 deputies, of which 38 were Armenians.
The following political forces were represented in the Council: The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian People's Party (Ramkavars), the Social Democrats, and the Socialist Revolutionaries.
On August 1, 1918, the first session of the Council of Armenia opened in the hall of the Yerevan City Club, which was attended by the entire government, headed by Prime Minister Hovhannes Kajaznuni. (See note 10). Also present at the session were representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey, the consul of Persia, and representatives of the Russian and Muslim national councils. Among the high-ranking Armenian military officers present were Tovmas Nazarbekyan and Movses Silikyan.
The honor of opening the first session of the first legislative body of Armenia was given to Dashnaktsutyun Avetik Sahakyan. Amidst profound silence, Sahakyan took the stage and delivered the opening speech, which was translated into Russian and Turkish on the spot”
Avedik Sahakyan’s speech at the inaugural session:
“Citizens, Deputies of the Council of Armenia.
On behalf of the Supreme Armenian National Council, I have the honor today to open the inaugural session of the Council of Armenia and to declare that from now on this is the only authorized body encompassing the state power of the Republic of Armenia.
This day will become historic for us and will open a new bright era in the life of our young state.
This day will always be memorable and for the reason that for the first time we see realized within our narrow horizons the beautiful dream and cherished desire for self-determination, albeit in impossibly difficult conditions.
Assuming that many of you are not well informed about the issue of our country's independence, I find it extremely important to present to this high assembly the stages through which the idea of independent states in Transcaucasia has passed from its inception to its final formulation.
Our republic, like the others, emerged as independent state from the day the Transcaucasian Sejm declared itself dissolved on May 26 [1918]. On the initiative and proposal of the Georgian Social Democratic faction, Georgia declared itself independent on the same day.
After the collapse of the Transcaucasus, our country was left to its own devices, so the Armenian National Council hastened to take over all the functions of the government.
It was then that the well-known ultimatum of the Ottoman government about new land acquisitions was received and a response was required within 48 hours. The Supreme Council immediately sent a separate delegation to Batumi in the person of Hovhannes Kajaznuni, Mikael Papajanyan and Alexander Khatisyan, giving them extraordinary powers to negotiate with the Turkish delegation. (Note 1)
Our delegation managed to make some corrections to the borders, but was still forced to accept the ultimatum and conclude a peace alliance with Vehib Pasha and Khalil Bey. Here, for the first time, the deputies of the Armenian National Council were officially recognized as representatives of independent Armenia and signed the June 4 alliance [Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Armenia and the Ottoman Imperial Government, 1918].
The independence of our state is also known to the allied states of Dajkastan(Turkey): Germany, Austria, Bulgaria. Our second delegation is in Constantinople, which includes Avetis Aharonyan, Alexander Khatisyan and Mikael Papajanyan, who traveled there at the invitation of the Ottoman government to conduct negotiations with Tajikistan and its allied states.
Thus, having comprehensively examined the country's forces and the circumstances in which the Armenian people find themselves, on the one hand, and the political and economic situation created, on the other, the Armenian National Council squeezed its heart and with a merciless conscience decided to finally accept the ultimatum and recognize the independence of Armenia, surrendering itself to the impartial judgment of history.
Yes, our republic is small and with narrow borders, it has been deprived of its most valuable territories and cannot accommodate the entire population within it and, it seems, does not have the conditions for an independent existence. But I believe that the borders of the country cannot remain frozen forever. I believe that the borders of the country will expand with the iron force of life, with the protection of our just and indisputable rights in relation to the occupied territories and with a new friendly alliance with Dajkatan (Turkey) and its allied states, whose representatives are present here. We have chosen the path of agreement and peace, and I want to hope that we are not mistaken.
Until then, we will fulfill our duties arising from the peace alliance with holiness and steadfastness. Let us leave aside future prospects, at least today here, without hesitation and with full determination, we cast anchor on our stateship and lay the foundation of the state building, striving to always improve it for the benefit of all nationalities of the Republic of Armenia, as children of one dear motherland.
I declare the session of the Council of Armenia open.”
Avetik Sahakyan was born in 1864 in Jalaloghli (now Stepanavan). In 1920, when Armenia was Sovietized, Sahakyan moved to Tabriz. He died in 1933 in Lebanon.
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Note 1: On the 13th of June [1918], An Armenian delegation, representing the Republic of Armenia, consisting of Avedis Aharonian, Alexander Khatisian and Mikayel Papajanian, left Tiflis and on the 19th of the same month arrived in Constantinople, where it remained until November 1, that is, approximately for 4 and a half months.
