ESCLUSIVO: La circolare interna dell’Ufficio di presidenza dell’ARF è a disposizione di Civic.am. Gli alleati sono favorevoli a cedere l’indipendenza alla Russia ESCLUSIVO: Civic.am ha ottenuto la circolare interna dell’Ufficio dell’ARF. I Dashnak sono favorevoli alla concessione dell’indipendenza alla Russia

Translated:

>It is no secret that in Armenia’s political landscape, there is no shortage of political forces, individuals, and so-called movements that provoke and serve radical opposition sentiments, torpedo the sovereignty, independence, democratic developments, and peace process of the Republic of Armenia, often acting on direct orders from certain power centers. These forces have rightfully earned the “Fifth Column” label within society due to their activities. The ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation), which boasts over a century of activity but is mostly known for the damage it has caused to Armenian statehood and the Armenian people, arguably holds its “honored place” among these forces.

>We have obtained a circular dated April 7, 2022, sent by the ARF Bureau to the party’s bodies and members, based on the decisions of the 34th General Assembly, which reveals several notable details.

>The circular instructs party members to do everything possible to torpedo the demarcation process as well as the process of unblocking regional infrastructure, and to prevent its implementation: “The demarcation, delimitation process, and the unblocking of communication routes never serve the interests of Armenia and the Armenian people, therefore it is necessary to derail these processes or at least create obstacles to hinder their progress.” In a geopolitical and regional situation characterized by such turbulence, having defined and demarcated borders is clearly in Armenia’s interests, as it serves as a guarantee for the protection of Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, for the ARF, this is dangerous, perhaps only because it minimizes the possibility of border escalations, which the party has repeatedly used to gain dividends in domestic political struggles by leveling undue accusations at the authorities. In other words, if the borders are calm, the ARF’s rhetoric becomes outdated, and thus such escalations are in their interest. For a rational person, it is also incomprehensible how one could derail the unblocking process. Let us recall that the blockade of Armenia’s economic routes was not a choice of our state but was imposed on us by Turkey and Azerbaijan since the 1990s.

>The ARF’s fervent loyalty to Russia and the preservation of its spheres of influence in our region is also noteworthy. Specifically, the party notes: “Russia may develop and implement a scenario of directly subordinating Artsakh to its control, working towards ensuring that in the event of a potential union, the fates of Artsakh and Armenia are resolved as a single entity. …In the modern world, the processes of integration among independent states sometimes also imply a certain reduction in the degree of independence from the perspective of national interest…” The coup that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, and the subsequent events, showed that the ARF attempted to implement this plan on the ground, after which Armenia, as stated in the circular, should have been directly subordinated to Russia as a single union. Incidentally, the necessity of achieving a change of power in Artsakh is also clearly stated in the party’s circular: “The formation of a national consensus government in Artsakh creates the opportunity to initiate a new phase of the liberation struggle. No issue can be resolved until the leadership in Artsakh is changed.” Just one year after making this statement, a change of power took place in Nagorno-Karabakh with the active involvement of the ARF, and only a few days later, the new authorities signed the decree for the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh.

>The circular also reveals interesting details from the party’s internal discussions and the prevailing atmosphere, making it clear that the ARF leadership itself acknowledges that the political agendas they have pushed are not accepted by the broader public, and that the party also faces several internal organizational issues, lacking self-criticism and introspection. Specifically, it mentions: “The decisions of the ARF Bureau have sometimes been made under the pressure of the moment, merely as reactions to events, and delayed. The Bureau’s report is long on information, short on analysis, with few recommendations, self-assessment, or self-criticism… In some party structures, alongside reservations about participating in the June 2021 snap elections as part of a coalition, it should be noted that the ARF, which participated in the elections as part of the ‘Armenia’ bloc, is the largest opposition political force represented in the National Assembly, and, being the driving force of the bloc, is using the parliamentary platform to increase the ARF’s political weight.” In other sections, the party essentially admits that their political image is not well-received by the public: “Targeted steps must be taken to change the stereotypes formed about the ARF… Our approaches and actions in the political field of Armenia are often difficult to understand or cause dissatisfaction… Even ideologically like-minded individuals avoid joining the party due to permanent obligations…”

Absolutely not surprised to see this confirmation

I cannot fathom why we consider these people and their supporters the same ethnically as us. They are not.