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  • Enlightened People Are Needed

    ENLIGHTENED PEOPLE ARE NEEDED
    http://www.lragir.am/src/index.php?id=socie ty&pid=15078


    Interview by SIRANUYSH PAPYAN
    13:32:37 - 04/09/2009

    Interview with the cultural critic Hrach Bayadyan

    In your opinion what is government and what are the mechanisms of its
    formations and its functions?

    The point is probably about the political and public government,
    because the word government has a very wide meaning-government in
    family, in office and so on. This is a topic discussed since
    Aristotle's and Platoon's times. Probably we want to understand the
    type of the government in Armenia and our expectations for the
    future. Even those people, who are pro-governmental, treat this
    government with restrictions. The state government is the giving
    monopoly of government to a system which is called state. And since
    the word government is also connected with power so different force
    structures fulfill force functions. The state has legal functions
    among the public, which the public voluntary gives to the state to
    defend its interests.

    Are the problems of the state and the government the same?

    The state is created as a system which embodies the government and
    fulfills the governance which the public gives to a neutral system
    such as the government which does not have personal interests. In our
    case, it is interesting if the government which is to be democratic
    serve its power for the public interests. But experts affirm that even
    in democratic countries it is not so, let alone Armenia where the
    monopoly of the state government is appropriated by several people who
    are oligarchs, the church as well may do a try to appropriate the
    state. For example, regardless the fact that in secular countries the
    church and the government are separated in Armenia there is some kind
    of pleasing between them.

    In your opinion, what kinds of mechanisms of the formation of
    government operate in Armenia? Whom does the government serve? Which
    is the basis of the RA government?

    In reality, the state supposes for the existence of such kind of
    mechanisms as the election. Of course, there are other mechanisms of
    formation of government but no one may say that these mechanisms work
    in Armenia. In Armenia, the formation of government is far from not
    only the idealistic version but also from a practical model. From this
    point of view, the governmental and the public interests are very far
    from each other and in Armenia, the violence is more legal. In this
    context, the idea of government which is connected with legality is
    mutated. We have no right to speak about the presence of legal
    mechanisms in Armenia through which the government had to serve the
    public interests.

    How can the public return its right to form government?

    It is difficult to take for serious such kind of questions because
    they are asked from everywhere. The reporters as well proceeding from
    their profession like to ask what is the solution and they are
    despaired when we answer there is no solution. This is determined by
    the fact that the public does not have voice today. If I say what the
    solution is, no one will listen to me. I have no right to speak, to
    vote, in other words, I cannot elect my parliamentarian, I have no
    right to participate in governmental processes, in other words, if I
    want I may speak to journalists, but no one will pay attention to what
    I say. So I wonder why I have to waste my time on speaking about it if
    there is no result.

    I have the impression that you are a little despaired from both the
    government and public.

    The word `despair' is a little strong, it maybe soberness. And this is
    some kind of soberness that lacks in pessimists either who say that
    everything is bad, but I am an optimist. The difference between these
    people and me is that I am not an optimist. Everything is bad and
    those who ten years ago thought that everything is bad but after ten
    years would be good, are mistaken. I think the existence of this
    optimistic future which we have which forces us to try to find the
    solution waiting it will come tomorrow or at the next election,
    impeded us from being critics the way it is needed.

    Two years ago, on the eve the parliamentary elections, you expressed
    the opinion that you would like a new person to appear because in your
    opinion both the government and the opposition exhausted their
    imagination, conscience and sub conscience. Do you have the same
    opinion now?

    It is again wrong to seek for solution on the political plane. In
    other words, if the government and the opposition do not find any
    solution, a new political force has to appear. My wish to be sober is
    determined probably by the fact that the Armenian social situation
    does not give birth to a political figure or force which would make us
    optimists. In other words, when they say that if we replace the acting
    president with another one and everything will be great is not
    true. In addition, (I am saying a dull thing) but the society has to
    change. But how will this third force appear? During the events after
    the 2008 presidential elections, I participated actively in the
    rallies and covered them supporting the opposition but I can register
    with sorrow that the potential present on those days changed very few
    things. That is why I think that the possibilities to change the
    country are determined by the change of the public's conscience. Here
    the mass media plays an important role which are not on their highness
    today. Today first of all we need enlightened people who know the
    world and understand that the greater part of the governmental fault
    is on the intellectual forces surrounding them, in other words there
    are not intellectuals in Armenia who may propose right ideas.

    Do you agree with the opinion that any nation deserves the government
    it has?

    In general, this expression is made for Western societies where the
    government is controlled by the society which may change it if
    necessary. So, this expression is not so right for Armenia as we may
    have a self-proclaimed president. In this case, it is difficult to
    accuse people why they went home on March 1 and did not struggle for
    government (which would be right). From this point of view, it is a
    little wrong to affirm that if a person fears from death deserves the
    government they have.

    What happened on March 1?

    On March 1 happened that the society did not find the ways of social
    struggle did not find its leaders and found itself in the simple
    contradiction of government and opposition. Everyone waited to hear
    what the leader of the opposition would say. In other words, even
    having social riot, the society did not find the structures and
    systems and ways which would give way to changes.

    The state is already a problem. Even in case of a legitimate
    president, there is always some kind of disagreement between the state
    and the public, because apart from being the representative of
    public's interest, the state also represents the interests of a small
    group of people even in democratic countries. Regardless the
    president, there is always some conflict between the state and the
    public and these conflict do not necessarily lead to change of
    government.

    Does the Armenian government correspond to those problems and
    challenges which are present in Armenia and in the world?

    I dwelt on the appropriation of non-governmental organization by the
    government. The other side of the question is that the Armenian
    government is under the superpowers, in particular Russia,
    international and national organization and so on.

    The current government of Armenia can hardly find solution to the
    daily problems, any strategy or project is out of their agenda. The
    problem is not only the government but also the intellectuals which
    lack.

    In other words, do we need people?

    Yes, Armenia needs professionals educated in the West. This is not
    expedient for the present government because if these forces come they
    will bring new values which are contradictory to the present
    government.

    What kind of government would you like to have in Armenia?

    None. It is the same thing. There is no solution. Maybe after 20-30
    years something will change. Those who want to see changes tomorrow
    help the government. We have to understand that changes cannot be
    quick we need to be sober and realistic to understand that we have to
    act today and not to think that tomorrow will be better. Let the
    government decide what kind of government we need. I know that this
    government is not good.

    Is change of government superfluous in this case?

    No, it is necessary. The government must be changed especially
    considering that it is the choice of the public. But we do not have to
    expect radical changes and miracles after the change of the
    government. Political struggle and social struggle are needed but we
    have to have realistic expectations.
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