all the roads (yopics) lead to Levon...all those Levon critics prove one point only: He is the most influential and controversial leader that Armenia had in the last 20 years..whether u like that fact or not...he stirs political and ideological debates about most of the critcial issues of the armenian nation, he has a point of view (not necessarily yours) and his views aim at one thing: having a free, independent and secure Armenia...by ALL MEANS...what is your plan? your so-called leader's plan?? I see that Serjik and his tashnag-OEG folowers immitate Levon and his ideas in a failed manner..nothing more..

Please stop talking about the past of LTP. No armenian leader as of today has had a good past including Robert, Levon, or Serzh. The only difference between Levon of today and the past presidents including Levon, Levon is acting more responsible than any candidate or president we have ever had

That is not for you to decide what he demands. It's up to the voter to decide whether to vote for him or not based on his previous experiences. If the voters were concerned about his past, then Serzh Sarkissian should never have had a problem to win the elections, but instead he know he would lose and that is why he had to resort to fraud, intimidation, and vote rigging. Free and Fair elections Levon for president

@me you are wrong Was LTP a democrat ? The answer is NO Is it possible that some in HHsH doesn’t know the difference between "Democracy" and "Dictatorship" Yes, because hate compaing and the nonsense regarding the court “de Hague “ are more just calls/signs after“lynch law” , mob laws” and not the signs of “law and order” ! - Did LTP falsified the election in 1996 ? The answer is YES. Was LTP´s rule becoming more and more corrupt and totalitarian? The answer is YES. Therefore he (LTP/HHSH) has no moral right to demand “free and fair election” but people are right to put forward their justified demands regarding rule of law , fight of corruption , a system of balance and control - How critical was or allowed to be (!) “LTP´s ombudsman “to all wrongdoings of HHsh and LTP in 90s? NOT LTP is a tool but people are becoming more and like a tool in the hand of HHsH/LTP! LTP wasn’t placed under house arrest- this is just a fabrication of a foreign “Radio Azadutuhn” ("sorry, Turks know this radio as "Armenian Youths.." (see http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=110956 ) ;-( If LTP regards Armenia a “criminal state” , why is LTP expecting to be protected by people paid by such a “criminal country” why is he demanding from a “criminal state” a Mercedes Benz a chauffeur etc .. these are all for me not logicality ..and in his rallies he said almost everything - Zero understanding for state secretes , self-respect and respect for opponents ! This is maybe the first time in the world history, when a “revelatory” is organizing a “revolution ” against a “criminal state” at the same time while attending his “revolutionary demos” expecting to be protected by the same “criminal state” Way changing/renaming HHsH to ANC ?LTP /HHsh better do not to keep people confused and in darkness better they publish there program! And the first 10 capital should include a critical view of there wrongdoings and wrong “hopes/promisses” they have /made given to Turks ! PS : I do have the impression a couple people posting comments are either "Turk-Azeris" or from the new "Armenian youth" organisation/ sorry “Radio ... ”

"Wasn't that Levon who proposed accepting all imaginable and unimaginable concessions with a single purpose of pleasing Turkey and their blood-thirsty cousins on the east?" Nope, it definitely wasn't him. What he suggested was not to have genocide be a central part of foreign policy (he thought Turkey had moral responsibility, but not a political one) and that we couldn't really go on much longer with closed borders. Can people guess who said this? "You are telling me that the diaspora is making more effort to resolve the issue of the genocide of Armenians. However, this kind of attitude is detrimental to our people in the first place because in order to find correct decisions and draw correct conclusions we need a broad outlook. However, we will not have it if our priority task is confrontation with someone rather than increasing our people's welfare. This does not mean that the government does not want the genocide to be recognized. But it has at the same time to organize the country's economy and care about our citizens' wellbeing." Hint: it's not LTP. P.S. For those who clearly started following Armenian politics yesterday, Ruben Hakobyan was a member of HYD until very recently (as in the the last few months), and beginning with mid 90s has been one of LTP's most vocal critics.

"Given the situation around Armenian at that time Vasgen Manulkjan did acte in responsible way in 1996 , else we would have had March 1 still in 1996 with 100´s of deaths and even the lose of big parts of Armenia!!!" That's a load of bullsh*t, and you know it. At least I hope you do...You don't remember the "if I don't come back in 15 minutes, come after me"? That still sends chills up my spine...His supporters attacked the parliament, attacked the Central Election Commission, beat up MPs and officials...That was an explicit attack on the state if I ever saw one. LTP on the other hand, insisted that people not follow him to his house after he was placed under house arrest, and his supporters POINTEDLY stayed away from government buildings and violence (5 months after March 1st not a single demonstrator has been charged with carrying or using weapons; there has been no connection established between the looters and the demonstrators).The municipality building was RIGHT there for the taking but was left untouched (which makes the coup charges even more bizarre). I'm all for people's right to hate LTP, but let's not lose sight of the facts.

do not forget There is a official "foreign Minster etc " and beside this “unofficial one.. Who are you and me.. Start working and begin your one PR without complaining or expecting a order ;-) PS: for failed politicans and palitcal forces t is always easier to complain and make such rude statements as we bring R-K to this and that court

Unfortunately, at the moment, Armenia's foreign policy-making structures to a large degree consist of several categories of so-called diplomats: 1. Acting or influence agents of foreign states, including the foreign minister who is a Russian citizen and an officer of the General Intelligence Service (GRU) of the Russian defense ministry; 2. Political appointees representing or heavily sympathizing local political parties and movements or appointees who for certain favors have been assigned a diplomatic post abroad; 3. Small-minded, career-driven technocrats who infiltrated the field out of their career ambitions and are, thus, totally unprofessional; 4. Commoners, aka provincials, aka “geghci” whatnots with inferiority complex, which they tend to satisfy while being in high-placed positions; 5. Unmarried or divorced damned wretch women who work mainly to satisfy the emptiness in their personal lives rather than for the sake of effectiveness of their work. 6. Small quantity of dedicated, professional individuals, whose work, unfortunately, does not affect the policy- and decision-making process. Without restructuring the field, cleaning it up, appointing larger amount of dedicated, nation-spirited, presentable people with state not pocket mentality, it’ll be hard to expect fundamental changes.

avo, Waw, noble price for Levon! "The mentality of Levon is the best that's ever been" if Levons´mentality were different than it is the situation in country wouldn’t be as it is! in 1996 Levon falsified the election. Vasgen Manukjan was the winner! Serijc called the army for help by the order of his then BOSS –Levon Ter- Pertosyan- Levon managed to “legitimize” his election for his clan – Given the situation around Armenian at that time Vasgen Manulkjan did acte in responsible way in 1996 , else we would have had March 1 still in 1996 with 100´s of deaths and even the lose of big parts of Armenia!!! I do believe Vasgen Manukjan was very well aware of the very specific mentality of Levoan and his clan! Patriotic leads never use a harsh and rude language and trying to become president by a hate campaign using physiology tricks and dividing nation! Often just 5 or 10% of a Nation is able to protect the nation interests in hard times … these 5 or 10% % does exits in Armenia (I am luck!) and these 5 or 10% are not so called fanatic Levonacans , or dashnaks or Serjicans or oligarchies !!

It is true that Armenian diplomacy is experiencing its worst time but it is normal for a country with NO ECONOMY! Nowadays, Armenia has to compete with Azerbaijan on international diplomacy scene and it is obvious that Azerbaijan is winning this game. If you play cards and your opponent is holding trump cards and you don’t, there is a small chance to win him. Strong economy is a trump card for country so Azerbaijan is using it pretty good! What does Armenia have? The only resource is Diaspora!! There is a good example for Armenia how it should develop itself. Take a look on Israel. This country has very powerful Diaspora and competitive economy. I would say Economy must be first priority at the moment to be able to move further!!

I wonder what Ruben Hakobyan would say if he was not an ex-diplomat but acting one.

Here's another example of the same tactics used by ex-elite to come to power. First they enumerate the drawbacks of the current authorities - some are true, some are false, and the other are beyond of power of the authorities altogether. Then they happily arrive to the one and only remedy - "pre-term presidential elections" (without elaborating HOW the new president would solve all these problems). One should ask - why? Can't you just care to provide details about the "clear steps" you'd like the current authorities to take instead of "flirting"? And.. since WHEN Levon can actually teach patriotic lesson to ANYONE? Wasn't that Levon who proposed accepting all imaginable and unimaginable concessions with a single purpose of pleasing Turkey and their blood-thirsty cousins on the east? How cynical one should be to propose his return as a single remedy to Armenia's woes - especially dealing with Turkey?! Mind-boggling...

The problem is the mentality of the politicians and not the elections? What planet are you from? The mentality of Levon is the best that's ever been and the best we have, including the old Levon mentality 20 years ago. What is democracy without free and fair elections? Just because the game is between Levon and Serzh, everything Serzh does for you is okay but if Levon proposed a similar "football diplomacy", you dashnaks will be yelling out of your heads. You know damn well that Dashnaks don't want good relations with Turkey and especially question the genocide and here you are keeping your options open just because you are "friends of the goverment". No one has the right to create diplomacy with Turkey and open borders and question the genocide and settle the Karabagh conflict if they are an illegitimate president. I respect Robert Kocharian for just keeping the Karabagh conflict in the air because he know he wasn't voted by the people so it was better for him to get involved with any serious issues. Levon for President

They are people who try to present everything blackand the one in opposition some are ven worse... Read the interview of foreign Minster Nalbandjan to a leading German news paper on 21 July 2008! “Armenian Genocide shouldn’t be allowed to be forgotten” http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article2233671/Der_Voelkermord_an_den_Armeniern_darf_nicht_in_Vergessenheit_geraten.html ("Der Völkermord an den Armeniern darf nicht in Vergessenheit geraten") If Mr. Hakobyan a diplomat, in this case the following statement makes me ask if he knows himself the history of Armenian Genocide!? Hakobyan : “Say, the commission arrives at the conclusion that there was no genocide. What should the president of Armenia do in that case?” There can not be a discussion with this "Turkey" and its racial motivated place historians regarding the true intention of mass deportation and mass killings of Armenians in there historical home land ! President Gül is the one who made Erdogan Prime Minister, Erdogan had the idée gave up taking the office of Prime Minister…! Let Gül refuse to visit Yerevan... if Turkish president is even not able to watch with Armenian president a football game of Turkish team…. After that there is no need to show any reaction to Turkish propaganda regarding “historian commission” and “” investigation” “open your archives ours are open ” etc…

I wouldn't say 'weak foreign policy". I would say "no foreign policy".

A political secondment to a consulate for a few years does not qualify someone for a diplomat. Please, do not insult this profession. Would you seek professional advise from a politician who is (god forbid) seconded to a surgery in a hospital ?

There is no need for a “historian commission” to proof facts on Armenian Genocide. Turkish politicians travelling to “Erministan/Armeianstan” which is empty “wiped out” of Armenians . how can they ignore the existing facts on the ground!? Where did get Mr Hakobyan the information who says there will be an “historian commission “ to investigate the fact of Armenian Genocide!? It is better to presents proofs rather voice speculation and relay /trust on Turkish news media! Some are trying to present , interpret no existing arrangements in favour of Turkey and as “facts” I do believe S. Sarkisyan did a good move by inviting Gül. Let us wait and see Turkish final decision! As Republican MP Edward Shanazarov said: “ Today the ball is in Turkey’s field. I wish Armenian political figures didn’t play football without a ball” But Ruben Hakobyan is doing exact the opposite which can not be welcomed! Before any new election first of all a change of electoral law and a health political culture is need- Politicians first have to learn to be engaged in dialog and respect opponents! the problem is the mentality of politicians (including Levon) not the elections! again "Today the ball is in Turkey’s field. I wish Armenian political figures didn’t play football without a ball”