February 27, 2024 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

DETROIT—A record number of Armenian Americans cast “uncommitted” votes in Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary today as a protest against President Joe Biden’s complicity in Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenians, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Joe Biden made his choice – arming Azerbaijan’s genocide of Armenians. Today, we made ours – holding him accountable for enabling this crime,” stated ANCA National Board member and Michigan leader Dzovinar Hatsakordzian. “We are proud to have done our part, delivering record-level Armenian voter turnout that helped drive a strong statewide showing for the ‘uncommitted’ campaign.”

Hatsakodordzian, in an op-ed published in The Armenian Weekly earlier this month, shared the litany of reasons why Michigan’s Armenians cast “uncommitted” ballots, including:

– Biden materially armed and morally emboldened Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh.

– Biden has refused to condemn Azerbaijan’s crimes. He conducts business as usual with its genocidal government, and he refuses to enforce sanctions against its leaders.

– Biden sent zero aid to Artsakh prior to Azerbaijan’s blockade and has sent almost no aid to the refugees created by Azerbaijan’s aggression.

– Biden blocked United Nations initiatives to condemn Azerbaijan and has, post-genocide, failed to lead, introduce or even support U.N. resolutions to enable the safe return of Armenians to Artsakh under an international mandate.

– Biden has opposed each and every congressional measure aimed at holding Azerbaijan accountable, supporting Artsakh refugees or securing the release of Armenian POWs.

– Biden approved the sale of F-16s to Turkey, even though Turkey illegally deployed these advanced fighters to Azerbaijan during its 2020 attack.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian explained, “It has always been bad policy to back Azerbaijan’s genocidal Aliyev regime. Now it’s bad politics too.”

In the days leading up to the Michigan Democratic primary, news outlets, including POLITICO and the New York Times, cited the role of the ANCA and Michigan Armenian voters in fueling the growing “uncommitted” vote movement.

ANCA pushed back against claims by Biden aides, reported in POLITICO, that the president’s 2021 recognition of the Armenian Genocide was proof of his “human rights bona fides.” ANCA Programs Director Alex Galitsky explained, “Seeing the outrage of Armenian American voters, Biden’s aides are trying to cover up his complicity in Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh by cynically instrumentalizing his recognition of the Armenian Genocide to score political points. Armenian Americans won’t be fooled twice.”

The ANCA ran an extended X (formerly known as Twitter) campaign citing the vital role Armenian Americans will be playing during Democratic primaries in key swing states. “In 2020, Biden carried Michigan – a state with 72,000 Armenian Americans – by just 154,188 votes (50.6-percent to 47.8-percent),” stressed the ANCA, noting that “the path to victory goes through Michigan.”

Based on community demographic research, the ANCA estimates there are 206,000 Armenians across the six swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin – positioned to play a decisive role in the hotly-contested 2024 presidential election.

Author information

ANCA

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

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