ARF Armenia Supreme Council Chairman and Member of Parliament of the Republic of Armenia Ishkhan Saghatelyan paid a working visit to the Western United States last week, at the invitation of the Armenian National Committee of America, and participated in a series of meetings and events in the Los Angeles area.
The culmination and grand finale event of Saghatelyan’s trip out to the West Coast was a Public Town Hall on the evening of Monday, April 10, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States Central Committee and hosted by the ARF “Aghbalian” Chapter at the ACF Beshir Mardiossian Youth Center in Burbank.
A capacity crowd of around 700 members of the local Armenian American community came to listen to Saghatelyan, and have the opportunity to have their questions answered and comments heard in an open and transparent format. The event was also streamed live on Facebook.
The discussion with Saghatelyan was perhaps the largest such meeting held in Los Angeles with any politician from Armenia in recent memory. By comparison, when Armenia’s infamous “High Commissioner” for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan visited Los Angeles last year and tried to hold a similar event, just 70 people attended, nearly all of whom there to protest and call for Sinanyan’s and his boss Pashinyan’s resignation. And when other figures such as Arman Babajanyan or Ara Papian have had similar events in the last few years, attendance has been lackluster to say the least.
On April 10, however, the Los Angeles Armenian community came out in full force to hear from Ishkhan Saghatelyan, arguably the highest profile and most prominent anti-Pashinyan politician in Armenia. Notably missing were any meaningful number of Pashinyan supporters to protest or interrupt Saghatelyan’s appearance. This despite the fact that Los Angeles is home to such notorious online and television personalities such as Kristine Halajyan and Armen Chibukhchyan, who constantly spew pro-Pashinyan and anti-ARF propaganda over social media and television.
Levon Baronian, ARF Western USA Central Committee Member, Oragark editor served as Master of Ceremonies 
ARF Western USA Chairman Daron Der Khachadourian
The formal portion of the evening’s event began with Levon Baronian, member of the ARF Western U.S.A. Central Committee asking attendees to rise for the anthems of Armenia and Artsakh. Baronian then made introductory remarks and introduced Daron Der Khachadourian, Chairman of the ARF Western U.S.A. to make official remarks on behalf of the ARF’s organization in the region. Finally, Baronian read brief biographical notes about Ishkhan Saghatelyan, and invited him to the podium.
Saghatelyan thanked the organizers and attendees of the Town Hall Discussion and entered a detailed discussion about the current state of matters in Armenia and Artsakh. He touched upon the conditions that led to the so-called “velvet revolution” in Armenia and expressed his belief that unfortunately, Pashinyan and his regime were able to co-opt the Armenian people’s desire for a better tomorrow with lies and deceit, but instead brought destruction, death, and despair.
Saghatelyan also asserted that even though Pashinyan and his regime try to shift focus from the current government’s treasonous failures by rehashing tired tales of the corruption and “looting” under previous governments, the reality is that the oligarchs and criminals responsible for corruption and looting in Armenia over the last 30 years are in fact all aligned today with the Pashinyan regime. He opined that the Pashinyan regime is trying to disenfranchise and disillusion the Armenian Diaspora so that the Diaspora cuts its ties with Armenia and Artsakh and leaves them alone and defenseless against the machinations of the Pashinyan regime to capitulate to foreign interests.
Saghatelyan called upon the Diaspora to remain engaged in Armenia’s and Artsakh’s future, despite the current government’s treason and abject failures, and reminded that the Pashinyan government and Armenia are not one and the same. He encouraged the attendees to continue visiting Armenia and putting pressure on their own and Armenia’s government to defend Armenia’s and Artsakh’s national interests.
A lengthy question and answer session ensued, during which all participants wishing to do so had the opportunity to comment and give Saghatelyan questions. Saghatelyan diligently listened to and answered the participants’ questions.
After the conclusion of the formal potion of the event, Saghatelyan mingled with attendees, and participated in a reception hosted by the ARF Burbank “Aghbalian” Gomideh.
