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On the Hill: U.S. Helsinki Commission holds hearing on Armenia after the election
April 17, 2008
By Matthew Plocher
On April 17, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), held a hearing on the election crisis in Armenia. Witnesses included Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Vigen Sargsian, Assistant to the President of Armenia, and Arman Grigorian, Spokesman for former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian.
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) opened with a brief overview of the events stemming from February’s contested presidential election. (Confrontations on March 1 between police and opposition supporters left several dead and emergency law was declared.) He indicated his regret for the loss of life and said the Commission was just one entity within the international community troubled by this course of events. While he welcomed the Armenian government’s declaration rescinding the state of emergency, he expressed displeasure over the strained relationship between the government and the opposition. He stressed the importance of rebuilding faith in the democratic process in Armenia, both in the eyes of Armenians and the international community.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) echoed Rep. Hastings’ concern regarding recent events in Armenia. He noted that several international organizations had refused to endorse the election proceedings. He stressed that his displeasure rested with the Armenian government not the Armenian people.
In his testimony, Bryza remarked that the Armenian-U.S. relationship is of the utmost importance to both nations. A strong Armenian-American population, shared democratic values and a military partnership in the war on terror all make the relationship worthwhile, he said. He said that improved relations in the region would allow countries like Armenia to lessen their dependence on countries like Iran and Russia.
Bryza remained impartial with respect to Armenia’s opposing political parties, saying that all groups sincerely regretted the loss of life on March 1. Yet despite their remorse and the uncertainty regarding what instigated the violence, Bryza said that “the burden of responsibility rests on the shoulders of the elected government” when there is a loss of civilian life. Currently, he believes the largest problems are restrictions on both the press and the right to freedom of assembly. He argued that to meet the Millennium Challenge criteria, Armenia must fully reinstate these rights and cease all politically motivated arrests. To ensure these actions are taken and to understand what prompted the violence, Bryza called for an investigation by an impartial international group. Political legitimacy would not come until a free democratic process could be proven to have taken place, and lasting peace would only stem from full reinstatement of civil rights, he said.
Rep. Hastings asked Bryza about U.S. aid to Armenia, specifically if the government’s legitimacy should be considered in the appropriations process, and if withheld funds might affect political reconciliation. Bryza answered yes to both questions.
Rep. Smith discussed the importance of easing the tensions between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. Conflict between these two nations could spill over into Armenia, exacerbating the situation, he said. He asked how serious of a threat Azerbaijan is to regional stability, and how much credence the U.S. could give to Azerbaijan’s posturing and fiery rhetoric on reintegrating Nagorno-Karabakh. Bryza said that the situation was tense, and that violence had broken out in several spots along the shared border. He said that the U.S. must walk a fine line between recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s political right to self determination and Azerbaijan’s legal right to territorial integrity.
Returning to the contested elections, Sargsian testified that they were imperfect, but said they represented the genuine will of the Armenian people. The Armenian government, he said, took its accountability to international organizations and human rights conventions seriously, but unusual times call for unusual measures and the government had the right to protect itself from forces that sought to take extra-constitutional actions against it. To illustrate the danger, he noted that challenger Ter-Petrossian gave a speech in the center of Yerevan in which he said the army had joined his opposition. Still, he said the central government welcomed an investigation. He argued that repeated attempts to open dialogue with opposition groups had been rebuffed. Sargsian also said he thought it ironic that Ter-Petrossian objected to the government’s supposedly oppressive tactics, when as president he was accused of closing media outlets and intimidating opposition parties. The liberalized economy and current level of political freedom in Armenia only occurred after Ter-Petrossian’s resignation several years ago, he declared.
Grigorian implored the Commission to view the situation as a fight for the basic tenets of freedom and democracy, and avowing that “democracy is being strangled.” He expressed his frustration with the lack of investigation. He said that the outgoing president had refused to look into the matter, citing this as proof of a deliberate cover up of the government’s culpability. Grigorian listed cases of widespread voting irregularities. He demanded that his counterpart acknowledge the political nature of the hundreds of arrests being made in Armenia. If the government is devoted to dialogue, he said, it should release all political prisoners and remove the soldiers stationed in the streets. If this were done, the opposition would come to the table prepared to make concessions, he said. Grigorian urged the U.S. to take a strong role in mediating the conflict, saying it should “recognize its power of influence at the very least, and side with liberty in the very best.”
Rep. Hastings appeared discouraged by Sargsian and Grigorian’s conflicting statements. Describing his own experiences as a political prisoner, he described what it felt like to be behind bars without the right to due process. He strongly reproached Sargsian for claiming there were no political prisoners in Armenia, saying, “you must be out of your ever-loving-mind.” He also commented on the hypocritical nature of Ter-Petrossian’s objections to the government crackdown. Rep. Hastings insisted that the two parties come to terms with each other and negotiate, not for the sake of any political party, but for the sake of Armenia. He added that if he were to continue to push for funding for Armenia’s infrastructure and economic development, Sargsian and Grigorian must show him their efforts at reconciliation. |
