Dashnaktsutiun Launches Campaign
ARF-D Campaign Launch, Moscow Cinema, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007
Looks like I’m not the only one burning the midnight oil tonight, and as promised when I left his apartment about two hours ago, Garo (aka Christian Garbis) has posted his impressions of the launch of the election campaign by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutiun. I’ll try to add some photos of [now] yesterday evening’s extravaganza, but until then, h Here are Garo’s impressions.
The campaigning for the May 12 National Assembly elections has officially started as of April 8. Although parties like Prosperous Armenia have already begun hanging gigantic banners promoting their message, others are playing the campaign game by the book. ARF-Dashnaktsutiun plastered posters up and down my street on Sunday […]. Basically two posters were being pasted up—one shows a bunch of young adults casually posing in front of the camera, some kneeling, others slouching, but another variation features a photo of what seems to be an extended family. The other companion poster lists specific goals that the party intends to reach.
The message chosen for the campaign slogan is “Our Old Friend is Dashnaktsutiun.” […] the underlying message is clear—ARF is making a strong push to get its program across to the people in a way that has simply not been done before by the party here.
[…]
I attended a campaign rally that the ARF organized at Charles Aznavour Square–in front of Cinema Moscow–on Monday night. About 2,000 people or possibly more were in attendance, and I would have to say that about half that number were kids under the age of 20. There were youth everywhere. About 100 red flags with the trademark, highly distinctive ARF emblem stenciled on them with gold paint were flying all over—from the upper balcony of the cinema to the street on handheld poles. There were hundreds of people there from the regions—one young man told me that purportedly about 1,500 people from the Ararat region alone were due to show in total. Several ARF leaders spoke at the event, and there was musical entertainment as well. But what really struck me was the turnout and the subsequent excitement. I quite honestly did not expect such a show of support, and it was certainly a fantastic experience to see what was transpiring.
[…]
Now the party must convince the people that it is able to meet the significant challenges that it has identified.
The full post is here.
ARF-D Campaign Launch, Moscow Cinema, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007
E-channel also has a report on the launch of the Dashnak election campaign here.
Incidentally, I’ve just come back from the launch of the Heritage Party campaign. Again, another impressive event.
About 1,000 people in a hall at the Marriott Armenia with Arto Tuncboyajian and the Armenian Navy Band supplying the live music.
Lots of young people in attendance too.
Comment by Onnik — April 10, 2007 @ 5:31 pm
Not surprisingly, the ARF-D’s Yerkir has a report on yesterday’s campaign launch.
Comment by Onnik — April 10, 2007 @ 5:34 pm
Interesting then, so I suppose right after the launch of their campaign at Marriott, Mr Hovannisyan went straight to the presentation of the new album and video of the rock band “Empiray” as I saw him there with his wife. I wonder whether he is a rock fan indeed (?) or it was just another of those opportunities when he can preach his party by his own presence, especially at glamour events such as “Arshak the 2nd” opera, where I observed him standing during the whole recess in order to be noticed so that people came up to him to greet and shake his hand. Seemed rather a show off to me. Anyways.
Comment by Zarchka — April 10, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
That’s politics for you. They all do it if they realize how important it is to be noticed.
Comment by Onnik — April 10, 2007 @ 11:31 pm