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THERE MUST BE A REGULATORY GOVERNMENT
13:30:35 - 11/09/2009
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/society-lra hos15144.html
Interview with the writer, publicist Tigran Paskevich
In your opinion, what is government and what are the mechanisms of its
formation and its functions?
In Armenia, the government is considered the mechanism of governance
and its system but the government is not only a mechanism of
governance but also a unity of systems which lacks today. Government
is the mechanism of governance and written laws, business, press, art,
church. But today some kind of centralization took place and included
all this in the system of governance. In other words, both the creator
of a law and its violator and those who are to protect it, everyone
are centered in the same place. If they really were separated,
independent from each other, they would have a regulating function
which is the number one function of the government.
What is this? Is it a special policy worked out by the government?
Hardly. There is no one within the government who would be able to
work out policy. I would speak about Robert Kocharyan rather than
Serge Sargsyan as the head of the government because Serge Sargsyan
was not the official of Robert Kocharyan's epoch. This is the result
of Robert Kocharyan's thinking which he fulfilled by force methods
surrounding him with people representing the petty bourgeoisie.
Was there not a petty bourgeoisie during '90?
Petty bourgeoisie has always existed and will always exist but the
question is how important it is rendered. I think in our reality,
petty bourgeoisie has been clearly formed in '60. Kocharyan's thinking
met petty bourgeoisie's approval and with his participation we got
what we have today.
Are the state and the government the same?
State and government are not the same. State is a firm value and
government is changeable. For example, Russia, Europe, America are
states which have existed for centuries but their government changes
sometime even unrecognizably. The more the government is changeable
the firmer the state will be. It is the bad government which equalizes
itself with the state. The good government on the contrary knows its
terms and knows it will leave but the state will remain.
Do you agree with the opinion that the nation deserves the government
it has?
No. Our people appeared in this situation not because they are not
able to make a right choice but after their election, there have
always been other results. In general, there is the tradition to
accuse the nation, but we may blame people only because they do not
get engaged in terrorism after being deceived. In the end, the history
of Armenia shows our people have always voted for the opposition: in
'98 Karen Demirchyan, in 2003 Stepan Demirchyan, in 2008 Levon
Ter-Petrosyan.
What about '96?
I have the same opinion that I have always expressed.
How can the society retake its right to form government?
This right should not be returned to the society. Except '96 which
needs serious studies, the society has always voted for the
opposition. This means that people see progress in change.
What qualities would you like the Armenian government to have?
Invisible government. I would like to have a government and not to
think about it. In the U.S., they ask who Condoleezza Rice is and
people wonder `rice'. This is an idealistic situation when people do
not think who is engaged in regulating the country. I do not say that
people do not have to be completely unaware of the government, let
those who are interested know it.
When will this mechanism of regulation form? Through change of
government?
Yes, change of government or changes of government. For example, I
consider myself a supporter of Congress and Levon Ter-Petrosyan but
when I am asked whether everything will better when Levon
Ter-Petrosyan comes to power I answer of course not, not everything.
Whose interests does the Armenian government represent?
The government in our country is engaged in self-protection.
HAK representatives affirm there will be extraordinary presidential
elections.
All political forces say something. They have their programs. HAK
demands the release of the political prisoners, extraordinary
presidential and parliamentary election and it is normal. A strategy
is worked out to gain aims. I am not for quick actions. To be sincere
I like our movement. Let us assume now Kirakos is a minister and
tomorrow Poghos assumes his office in result of a quick change. The
change of persons does not mean anything if the society is not
changing, if a civil system of values is not created.
How may the society be changed if it is deprived of free speech and
lives unaware of everything? How can the society be involved and
awakened?
My communication with people (in Yerevan and out of it) shows that the
TV channels under the governmental control fulfill an important task -
they teach the society to see a thing and to perceive another one. If
it was not so, the roads taking to Yerevan would not be closed on the
day of rallies and police officials would return home after work.
Interview by SIRANUYSH PAPYAN
13:30:35 - 11/09/2009
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/society-lra hos15144.html
Interview with the writer, publicist Tigran Paskevich
In your opinion, what is government and what are the mechanisms of its
formation and its functions?
In Armenia, the government is considered the mechanism of governance
and its system but the government is not only a mechanism of
governance but also a unity of systems which lacks today. Government
is the mechanism of governance and written laws, business, press, art,
church. But today some kind of centralization took place and included
all this in the system of governance. In other words, both the creator
of a law and its violator and those who are to protect it, everyone
are centered in the same place. If they really were separated,
independent from each other, they would have a regulating function
which is the number one function of the government.
What is this? Is it a special policy worked out by the government?
Hardly. There is no one within the government who would be able to
work out policy. I would speak about Robert Kocharyan rather than
Serge Sargsyan as the head of the government because Serge Sargsyan
was not the official of Robert Kocharyan's epoch. This is the result
of Robert Kocharyan's thinking which he fulfilled by force methods
surrounding him with people representing the petty bourgeoisie.
Was there not a petty bourgeoisie during '90?
Petty bourgeoisie has always existed and will always exist but the
question is how important it is rendered. I think in our reality,
petty bourgeoisie has been clearly formed in '60. Kocharyan's thinking
met petty bourgeoisie's approval and with his participation we got
what we have today.
Are the state and the government the same?
State and government are not the same. State is a firm value and
government is changeable. For example, Russia, Europe, America are
states which have existed for centuries but their government changes
sometime even unrecognizably. The more the government is changeable
the firmer the state will be. It is the bad government which equalizes
itself with the state. The good government on the contrary knows its
terms and knows it will leave but the state will remain.
Do you agree with the opinion that the nation deserves the government
it has?
No. Our people appeared in this situation not because they are not
able to make a right choice but after their election, there have
always been other results. In general, there is the tradition to
accuse the nation, but we may blame people only because they do not
get engaged in terrorism after being deceived. In the end, the history
of Armenia shows our people have always voted for the opposition: in
'98 Karen Demirchyan, in 2003 Stepan Demirchyan, in 2008 Levon
Ter-Petrosyan.
What about '96?
I have the same opinion that I have always expressed.
How can the society retake its right to form government?
This right should not be returned to the society. Except '96 which
needs serious studies, the society has always voted for the
opposition. This means that people see progress in change.
What qualities would you like the Armenian government to have?
Invisible government. I would like to have a government and not to
think about it. In the U.S., they ask who Condoleezza Rice is and
people wonder `rice'. This is an idealistic situation when people do
not think who is engaged in regulating the country. I do not say that
people do not have to be completely unaware of the government, let
those who are interested know it.
When will this mechanism of regulation form? Through change of
government?
Yes, change of government or changes of government. For example, I
consider myself a supporter of Congress and Levon Ter-Petrosyan but
when I am asked whether everything will better when Levon
Ter-Petrosyan comes to power I answer of course not, not everything.
Whose interests does the Armenian government represent?
The government in our country is engaged in self-protection.
HAK representatives affirm there will be extraordinary presidential
elections.
All political forces say something. They have their programs. HAK
demands the release of the political prisoners, extraordinary
presidential and parliamentary election and it is normal. A strategy
is worked out to gain aims. I am not for quick actions. To be sincere
I like our movement. Let us assume now Kirakos is a minister and
tomorrow Poghos assumes his office in result of a quick change. The
change of persons does not mean anything if the society is not
changing, if a civil system of values is not created.
How may the society be changed if it is deprived of free speech and
lives unaware of everything? How can the society be involved and
awakened?
My communication with people (in Yerevan and out of it) shows that the
TV channels under the governmental control fulfill an important task -
they teach the society to see a thing and to perceive another one. If
it was not so, the roads taking to Yerevan would not be closed on the
day of rallies and police officials would return home after work.
Interview by SIRANUYSH PAPYAN