Artur Baghdasarian, Orinats Yerkir Parliamentary Election Campaign Meeting, Davidashen, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007

Today also saw Orinats Yerkir campaign in the Davidashen district of Yerevan although the weather was really against the party and those who turned out to hear its chairperson, former Speaker of the National Assembly, Artur Baghdasarian. No sooner as he had arrived than the wind picked up and the rain started to fall heavily.

Given that I hadn’t brought a coat with me and the wind was so strong the rain was pelting the front of my lens to the point where photography was close to impossible, I decided to leave after 10 minutes. Nevertheless, after attending their election press conference on 10 April, it was interesting to see them on the campaign trial trail.

Although the party is not considered to have an extensive support base, Baghdasarian is certainly a political player in Armenia. Some would even argue that he is significant enough in the international arena too, especially after his much publicized fall from grace last May.

In February, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by the man once considered to be a possible successor to Kocharian.

Former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian on Wednesday urged the West not to turn a blind eye to serious fraud which he believes could mar Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

“Unfortunately, there are forces in the Armenian government that might try to steal the upcoming elections,” he said in an article published by “The Wall Street Journal.” “And there are those abroad who might turn a blind eye to such a scam in the name of stability.”

“But stability will only come to Armenia and the region through governments supported and elected by the people,” he added.

[…]

Visiting Washington last week, the ambitious ex-speaker, who favors a pro-Western foreign policy agenda, likewise warned that a repeat of serious vote irregularities could spark opposition demonstrations in Yerevan. The Kocharian administration already faced street protests in 2003 and 2004 over its hotly disputed handling of the last Armenian presidential election . Baghdasarian and his party were part of the governing coalition at the time.

In his article, the Orinats Yerkir leader described Armenia as an “undemocratic country” mired in government corruption. “The citizens of Armenia are not free,” he said. “Our media is state-controlled and TV airtime for opposition parties during the parliamentary campaign is severely limited.”

Baghdasarian is not without his critics who accuse the young politician of populism. Certainly, his campaign promises voiced at the 10 April press conference seemed enticing. From initiating a low-cost apartment building program to fighting oligarchy in the country as well as stopping the arguably corrupt and unconstitutional land grab in central Yerevan that has seen hundreds of families evicted from their homes, Baghdasarian says all the right things, for sure.

As with most other political parties in Armenia, it remains to be seen whether the electorate will buy into it. Nevertheless, it would appear that some observers expect Orinats Yerkir to clear the five percent hurdle and maintain some representation in Parliament. As for me, however, I’m just hoping that we’ll get some sunshine and less rain over the next three weeks so I can take photographs without getting drenched.

Orinats Yerkir Parliamentary Election Campaign Meeting, Davidashen, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007

Artur Baghdasarian, Orinats Yerkir Parliamentary Election Campaign Meeting, Davidashen, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007

Orinats Yerkir Parliamentary Election Campaign Meeting, Davidashen, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia for EurasiaNet 2007