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MONOLITH CRACKED
Levon Margaryan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26809.html
Published: 10:27:46 - 11/07/2012
On these days, ANC spokesman Arman Musinyan was hosted by Aram
Abrahamyan's show. Musinyan said that comparing the years 2008 and
2012 shows that the government has weakened and is less monolithic now.
In Armenia, the main criterion of measuring the strength of the
political culture is the monolith. In this way are politics and
government perceived in Armenia.
Besides, the opposition also tends to be monolithic. Since 2008,
it has always brought up the issue of a monolith opposition, joint
front and common arena. Today too, for future political successes
individuals and groups note the need to be united.
The ideas on the necessity to be monolithic are so fashionable because
they need something to fill in the gap of new political ideas. Such
political ideas are typical of pre-industrial/pre-modern stage of
human development. The political system supposes some hierarchy,
some groups and organization but the division of interests and lack
of a monolith are not measurements of weakness but strength.
But is everything so simple in Armenia to consider the monolith as
a criterion? There are at least two wings in the government today
which are competing against each other. These wings are competing for
their interests though they make one system. The same goes for the
opposition. Today when the PAP and the ARF adhere to the opposition,
it is clear they will hardly form a monolith and nominate a joint
candidate. Today, the ongoing discussions show that the more they
speak about the monolithic front, the easier they will lose.
Though the RPA upholds nationalism, it has a liberal wing which is used
when necessity occurs. The variety of interests and different wings in
the government help it to reproduce and as Serzh Sargsyan's example
shows, by balancing and counterbalancing both wings he is able to
keep power. It is almost impossible to dwell on unity inside the RPA.
Perhaps, it is time for Musinyan and other young figures make new
texts and change their criteria for assessment and analyses instead
of following up the tasks of their leaders. In addition, this is not
a matter of a good or bad opinion of Musinyan or the ANC about the
government but the methodology of analyzing. This method is repeated
by the political forces.
This is not only a political model but also a pan-Armenian model
because a number of issues are hidden behind the excuse of unity
and monolith. In one case, this veil is national unity at times and
political unity at other times.
In Armenia, the political situation has changed since 2008 and was
established after the last parliamentary elections. The monolith of the
political field has cracked because the field has been diversified. A
party is out of government, another party is marginal, there is an
evident conflict between Hovik Abrahamyan and Tigran Sargsyan.
The same is happening in the field of the opposition. The PAP, being
a newcomer, has some issues with the old opposition, the ANC has an
issue of interest. This confusion leads to some cautious assumptions
because the political field has been adapted to the monolith and now
the cracks may hurt.
The issue of young figures is to shift from unity criteria to the
political text trying to work out more rational and functional
strategies instead of reproducing the old approaches.
The monolith has cracked; the old politicians who are used to the
monolith are in crisis, now it is time for new politics.
Levon Margaryan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26809.html
Published: 10:27:46 - 11/07/2012
On these days, ANC spokesman Arman Musinyan was hosted by Aram
Abrahamyan's show. Musinyan said that comparing the years 2008 and
2012 shows that the government has weakened and is less monolithic now.
In Armenia, the main criterion of measuring the strength of the
political culture is the monolith. In this way are politics and
government perceived in Armenia.
Besides, the opposition also tends to be monolithic. Since 2008,
it has always brought up the issue of a monolith opposition, joint
front and common arena. Today too, for future political successes
individuals and groups note the need to be united.
The ideas on the necessity to be monolithic are so fashionable because
they need something to fill in the gap of new political ideas. Such
political ideas are typical of pre-industrial/pre-modern stage of
human development. The political system supposes some hierarchy,
some groups and organization but the division of interests and lack
of a monolith are not measurements of weakness but strength.
But is everything so simple in Armenia to consider the monolith as
a criterion? There are at least two wings in the government today
which are competing against each other. These wings are competing for
their interests though they make one system. The same goes for the
opposition. Today when the PAP and the ARF adhere to the opposition,
it is clear they will hardly form a monolith and nominate a joint
candidate. Today, the ongoing discussions show that the more they
speak about the monolithic front, the easier they will lose.
Though the RPA upholds nationalism, it has a liberal wing which is used
when necessity occurs. The variety of interests and different wings in
the government help it to reproduce and as Serzh Sargsyan's example
shows, by balancing and counterbalancing both wings he is able to
keep power. It is almost impossible to dwell on unity inside the RPA.
Perhaps, it is time for Musinyan and other young figures make new
texts and change their criteria for assessment and analyses instead
of following up the tasks of their leaders. In addition, this is not
a matter of a good or bad opinion of Musinyan or the ANC about the
government but the methodology of analyzing. This method is repeated
by the political forces.
This is not only a political model but also a pan-Armenian model
because a number of issues are hidden behind the excuse of unity
and monolith. In one case, this veil is national unity at times and
political unity at other times.
In Armenia, the political situation has changed since 2008 and was
established after the last parliamentary elections. The monolith of the
political field has cracked because the field has been diversified. A
party is out of government, another party is marginal, there is an
evident conflict between Hovik Abrahamyan and Tigran Sargsyan.
The same is happening in the field of the opposition. The PAP, being
a newcomer, has some issues with the old opposition, the ANC has an
issue of interest. This confusion leads to some cautious assumptions
because the political field has been adapted to the monolith and now
the cracks may hurt.
The issue of young figures is to shift from unity criteria to the
political text trying to work out more rational and functional
strategies instead of reproducing the old approaches.
The monolith has cracked; the old politicians who are used to the
monolith are in crisis, now it is time for new politics.