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Let's Get Rid of Oligarchs
Editorial
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/07/05/88129/
July 5, 2012 13:08
Yesterday I read on www.lragir.am that it was not ruled out that Ruben
Hayrapetyan would `have a change of heart' and would decide not to
resign the office giving in to his friend Samvel Alexanyan's
pleadings. It seems unlikely to me, moreover, the opposite is possible
that he would persuade his colleague to resign from the parliament. If
such a thing took place, it would do credit to both of them. By the
way, I think one should distinguish between the political and social
lives of oligarchs. In the first case, it is clear that they should
leave that field. In the second case, as far as, for example, the
Football Federation or the Olympic Committee is concerned, people
involved in that field - in this case, sportsmen, coaches - should
decide whether they want the head of the organization to change or
not.
As for politics and parliamentarianism, it is absolutely clear why
oligarchs have squeezed themselves into it. In Russia, which we copy
in many respects, it is already history - Usmanov, Lisin or Mordashov
are not members of the Duma anymore and now they don't seem to have a
particular wish to regain that status. Certainly, it would be naïve to
think that they don't have an influence on the political stage; they
just have found more civilized ways, including media, for that. The
financial means of our rich people are at least 20 times less than
those of the mentioned oligarchs and perhaps that is the reason for
their mistrust of tomorrow and longing for a political `cover.' On the
other hand, the cultural level of Russian oligarchs is much higher
than of their Armenian counterparts and today it doesn't occur to them
to surprise the society with their fierce, unbridled bodyguards. Our
folks are those very people who have remained at the level of mobsters
and nouveau riches of the 1990s.
All those circumstances of ours are naturally not conditional on our
national traits or even differences in regimes; on the contrary, the
current regime in our country is even a bit more liberal than that of
Russia. I am rather inclined to attribute it to the extreme situation
in our country in the first half of the 1990s, when the state system -
with its positive and negative sides - was being built by
law-enforcement bodies.
But let bygones be bygones - it is high time to switch to normal
`civic' life. The first step toward it could be not letting oligarchs
into the parliament. However, most probably the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) couldn't do that, since it was in a severe competition
with the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), where there are big and small
oligarchs too. Now, taking into account Ruben Hayrapetyan's move,
perhaps there is a possibility that the oligarchs of the
above-mentioned parties will resign their offices. Why do you need to
be a target of criticism and mockery all the time? Go to your
mansions, be engaged in charity. If you want to morally or financially
support the current president, no problem. If you want to endorse any
of the two former presidents, it is your business. However, let
legislative activities alone, it is not for the likes of you.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
Editorial
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/07/05/88129/
July 5, 2012 13:08
Yesterday I read on www.lragir.am that it was not ruled out that Ruben
Hayrapetyan would `have a change of heart' and would decide not to
resign the office giving in to his friend Samvel Alexanyan's
pleadings. It seems unlikely to me, moreover, the opposite is possible
that he would persuade his colleague to resign from the parliament. If
such a thing took place, it would do credit to both of them. By the
way, I think one should distinguish between the political and social
lives of oligarchs. In the first case, it is clear that they should
leave that field. In the second case, as far as, for example, the
Football Federation or the Olympic Committee is concerned, people
involved in that field - in this case, sportsmen, coaches - should
decide whether they want the head of the organization to change or
not.
As for politics and parliamentarianism, it is absolutely clear why
oligarchs have squeezed themselves into it. In Russia, which we copy
in many respects, it is already history - Usmanov, Lisin or Mordashov
are not members of the Duma anymore and now they don't seem to have a
particular wish to regain that status. Certainly, it would be naïve to
think that they don't have an influence on the political stage; they
just have found more civilized ways, including media, for that. The
financial means of our rich people are at least 20 times less than
those of the mentioned oligarchs and perhaps that is the reason for
their mistrust of tomorrow and longing for a political `cover.' On the
other hand, the cultural level of Russian oligarchs is much higher
than of their Armenian counterparts and today it doesn't occur to them
to surprise the society with their fierce, unbridled bodyguards. Our
folks are those very people who have remained at the level of mobsters
and nouveau riches of the 1990s.
All those circumstances of ours are naturally not conditional on our
national traits or even differences in regimes; on the contrary, the
current regime in our country is even a bit more liberal than that of
Russia. I am rather inclined to attribute it to the extreme situation
in our country in the first half of the 1990s, when the state system -
with its positive and negative sides - was being built by
law-enforcement bodies.
But let bygones be bygones - it is high time to switch to normal
`civic' life. The first step toward it could be not letting oligarchs
into the parliament. However, most probably the Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) couldn't do that, since it was in a severe competition
with the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), where there are big and small
oligarchs too. Now, taking into account Ruben Hayrapetyan's move,
perhaps there is a possibility that the oligarchs of the
above-mentioned parties will resign their offices. Why do you need to
be a target of criticism and mockery all the time? Go to your
mansions, be engaged in charity. If you want to morally or financially
support the current president, no problem. If you want to endorse any
of the two former presidents, it is your business. However, let
legislative activities alone, it is not for the likes of you.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN