Epress.am News from Armenia
“I consider that simply gum, which they’ve thrown, to keep people occupied,” said principal of the Mkhitar Sebastatsy educational complex Ashot Bleyan, commenting on recent news that Armenia’s parliament will be split into two chambers.
Recall, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan in California last week had informed Armenian-Americans of RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s intention of creating a bicameral parliament, with the upper house — the Senate — including representatives from the Diaspora.
According to Bleyan, the main issue before Armenians today is Armenia: “that limited liability company which the most average people founded in 1991 in order to solve specific problems.” The rest, said Bleyan, is not serious.
Also present at the meeting, local daily Azg (“Nation”) editor Hakob Avetikyan considered the idea of having a two-house parliament not yet ripe. He recalled an attempt in the 70s to unite Diasporan Armenians — an issue which was raised again in Nov. 2010 during a convention in Los Angeles.
In Avetikyan’s opinion, this is the diaspora’s demand.
During the debate, Bleyan noted that in a few years, “we’ll all be Diasporan Armenian,” referring to the large numbers of Armenians in Armenia who emigrate, because people don’t want to live in Armenia, he said.
Furthermore, he added, in 20 years of Armenia’s independence, Armenia-Diaspora relations were supposed to have transferred to schools, universities and other educational institutions, which, however, has not happened.
According to Bleyan, if “our compatriots abroad” integrated very quickly to life in Armenia, participated in elections, and pulled their weight, we would be able to resolve Armenia-Diaspora relations.