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IN DIRTY POLITICAL FIELD OF ARMENIA EVEN A PARTY LIKE ORINATS YERKIR MAY "RECEIVE" NECESSARY VOTES
by David Stepanyan
arminfo
Tuesday, October 11, 19:33
What is the reason of the domestic political crisis in Armenia and
what are the ways to its management? Robert Kocharyan's possible
return is much spoken about today. Do you thin it possible?
Domestic political crisis was seriously felt for the first time in
1999 and has not ended yet. The tragedy in the parliament on October
27 became a reason for new shocks. Afterwards, there was a period of
relative stabilization that ended on March 1 2008. The public unrest
of March 1 was the new phase of domestic political crisis in Armenia.
This new phase bears no relation that the aforementioned crisis. The
new phase of domestic political crisis in Armenia is coming from
public's efforts to get adjusted to the absolutely new world. That is,
the issue was much serious than just change of power. It is still not
clear, he says, how Armenia is going to get adjusted to the changes
in the world and meet its new challenges that are sometimes very
difficult even to discover. Hovhannissyan thinks that the political
arena of Armenia lacks politicians of the new generation able to
answer also these questions.
The comeback of ex President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan into big
politics is impossible. Way too many bad things are associated with
his name. So, hean hardly hope that this time too people will elect
"whoever but not the acting president," especially, as I think that
our people no longer think this way.
Recently the Armenian National Congress organized quite an interesting
civil forum, a group of intellectuals representing different spheres
and trying to make public their vision of the current situation
in the country. This is an excellent initiative. Liberty Square is
becoming a field that can generate new young leaders. I think that
any government in Armenia must have a serious opposition, a force
it will have to reckon with. In any case, we will finally be able
to answer the question what kind of Armenia we want to see in 5-10
years. I have always been an advocate of a dialogue as the only
effective way out of a crisis. I mean that there must be a kind of
hotline between the acting and the former presidents and a dialogue
between the government and the opposition. It is very bad that the
newly started dialogue between the government and the opposition
has been suspended. It might have helped the parties to find common
ways to manage the country. But it must in no way be a pretext for
discussing possibilities for changing government. No government will
agree to resign after a mere dialogue with the opposition. In this
light, the Coalition-ANC talks were bound to fail. But there are
still chances for the parties to improve the situation and if they
decide to resume their meetings, it will be right decision, a step
that will help to alleviate the social tension.
Proceeding from the current situation is it possible to forecast the
domestic political situation in
Armenia at least by the spring of 2012 and 2013 when the parliamentary
and presidential elections will be held?
It is very difficult. If we dealt with free and fair elections, we
would agree that the election results were fair and adequate. However,
the experience of all the previous elections in Armenia except the
ones of 1991 shows that there were no fair elections. In the dirty
political field in Armenia any party, even a party like Orinats Yerkir
may "receive" the necessary percentage of votes.
Are there any preconditions for that?
Yes, there are all the preconditions for that. But I think that much
in this aspect still depends on the world community since Armenia
is a member of the Council of Europe and has serious commitments to
that structure. Both the European observers and the entire civilized
world will adequately respond to the elections in Armenia and impose
sanctions in case of unfair elections. Making any forecasts regarding
the response of Europeans or Americans is not serious since all them
have their national interests and their actions will depend on that
very circumstance. There will be no way forward unless will realize
that our own national interests dictate fair elections.
I am sure that the main obstacle on the way of development of
the society in the person of monopolistic economy of Armenia will
inevitably ruin, as it is already impossible to keep on the float any
more. For this reason, anyway, the future president will be forced
to sort out the situation with oligarchs, which is a very hard and
dangerous affair. The fair elections are good at least for the fact
that the fairly elected president will have civil support and no
obligation against oligarchs.
Does it mean that after destruction of the oligarchic system of
economy, everything will remain under the ruins?
No, of course, as the system never ruins for an hour. Second,
before that the laws, which have been functioning in the republic
only in favor of emperors, which do nothing for development of local
production, should be changed. These changes may be fixed only if we
have such members of the parliament which really present interests
of the Armenian society.
by David Stepanyan
arminfo
Tuesday, October 11, 19:33
What is the reason of the domestic political crisis in Armenia and
what are the ways to its management? Robert Kocharyan's possible
return is much spoken about today. Do you thin it possible?
Domestic political crisis was seriously felt for the first time in
1999 and has not ended yet. The tragedy in the parliament on October
27 became a reason for new shocks. Afterwards, there was a period of
relative stabilization that ended on March 1 2008. The public unrest
of March 1 was the new phase of domestic political crisis in Armenia.
This new phase bears no relation that the aforementioned crisis. The
new phase of domestic political crisis in Armenia is coming from
public's efforts to get adjusted to the absolutely new world. That is,
the issue was much serious than just change of power. It is still not
clear, he says, how Armenia is going to get adjusted to the changes
in the world and meet its new challenges that are sometimes very
difficult even to discover. Hovhannissyan thinks that the political
arena of Armenia lacks politicians of the new generation able to
answer also these questions.
The comeback of ex President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan into big
politics is impossible. Way too many bad things are associated with
his name. So, hean hardly hope that this time too people will elect
"whoever but not the acting president," especially, as I think that
our people no longer think this way.
Recently the Armenian National Congress organized quite an interesting
civil forum, a group of intellectuals representing different spheres
and trying to make public their vision of the current situation
in the country. This is an excellent initiative. Liberty Square is
becoming a field that can generate new young leaders. I think that
any government in Armenia must have a serious opposition, a force
it will have to reckon with. In any case, we will finally be able
to answer the question what kind of Armenia we want to see in 5-10
years. I have always been an advocate of a dialogue as the only
effective way out of a crisis. I mean that there must be a kind of
hotline between the acting and the former presidents and a dialogue
between the government and the opposition. It is very bad that the
newly started dialogue between the government and the opposition
has been suspended. It might have helped the parties to find common
ways to manage the country. But it must in no way be a pretext for
discussing possibilities for changing government. No government will
agree to resign after a mere dialogue with the opposition. In this
light, the Coalition-ANC talks were bound to fail. But there are
still chances for the parties to improve the situation and if they
decide to resume their meetings, it will be right decision, a step
that will help to alleviate the social tension.
Proceeding from the current situation is it possible to forecast the
domestic political situation in
Armenia at least by the spring of 2012 and 2013 when the parliamentary
and presidential elections will be held?
It is very difficult. If we dealt with free and fair elections, we
would agree that the election results were fair and adequate. However,
the experience of all the previous elections in Armenia except the
ones of 1991 shows that there were no fair elections. In the dirty
political field in Armenia any party, even a party like Orinats Yerkir
may "receive" the necessary percentage of votes.
Are there any preconditions for that?
Yes, there are all the preconditions for that. But I think that much
in this aspect still depends on the world community since Armenia
is a member of the Council of Europe and has serious commitments to
that structure. Both the European observers and the entire civilized
world will adequately respond to the elections in Armenia and impose
sanctions in case of unfair elections. Making any forecasts regarding
the response of Europeans or Americans is not serious since all them
have their national interests and their actions will depend on that
very circumstance. There will be no way forward unless will realize
that our own national interests dictate fair elections.
I am sure that the main obstacle on the way of development of
the society in the person of monopolistic economy of Armenia will
inevitably ruin, as it is already impossible to keep on the float any
more. For this reason, anyway, the future president will be forced
to sort out the situation with oligarchs, which is a very hard and
dangerous affair. The fair elections are good at least for the fact
that the fairly elected president will have civil support and no
obligation against oligarchs.
Does it mean that after destruction of the oligarchic system of
economy, everything will remain under the ruins?
No, of course, as the system never ruins for an hour. Second,
before that the laws, which have been functioning in the republic
only in favor of emperors, which do nothing for development of local
production, should be changed. These changes may be fixed only if we
have such members of the parliament which really present interests
of the Armenian society.