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REANIMATING SOCIAL REVOLT
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26555.html
Published: 16:00:59 - 14/06/2012
The stoppage of work of Ararat Cement Company owned by the leader
of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan was assessed by many
as an attempt of strike and aggravation of the social situation by
Tsarukyan. Although, judging by some information, the closure may
also be caused by breaches which interested the relevant bodies.
However, even if the plant stopped working under the pressure of
the government, it will against cause grievance. But is there any
possibility of social unrest in Armenia which could be used during
the upcoming presidential election?
Only 10.3% of citizens of Armenia think their life is good and they are
satisfied with their living, 3.3% lives well but they are dissatisfied,
49% live bad, though they are already used to their situation, 39.4%
live bad and are dissatisfied. These are the data provided by the
sociological survey on the "Index of quality of life in Armenia in
2001", released by the information department of the government.
Actually, the government acknowledges that 50% of the population
lives badly but has reconciled with it, and 40% live badly and are
dissatisfied. At the same time, the bad ruling parties RPA and PAP
together receive almost 80% of parliamentary seats. Either it means
that the elections were rigged by 100% or that social dissatisfaction
in Armenia is no longer a political category. So, there is no need
to count on them anymore.
2-3 years ago when the memories of the election 2008 were still
fresh and the global crisis impacted the social situation in Armenia,
there was a real possibility of a social revolution. Psychologically,
people could not come to terms with deterioration of the situation
and still believed that it was possible to achieve policy changes by
means of pressure on the government.
However, the Armenian National Congress was another nail in the coffin
of the revolution in Armenia which proclaimed itself a pan-Armenian
movement, the only oppositional force but its function was just to
contain and mitigate social discontent and transform them to surges
of steam through rallies.
No one knows how expressions of social discontent would have ended up
if the Congress had run the risk to lead them. Perhaps, it could have
led to overthrow of the government, new elections and new leaders, or
maybe also blood sharing. But repression of social discontent killed
the only institution that was able to achieve change of government.
Now the society is trying to rehabilitate social revolt through local
civil activities setting forth legal claims. But just like political
parties are unable to do without the social platform, so is the civil
movement unable to do without potential social revolt.
This institution has been killed systematically by the ruling parties
and opposition. Now that they may need it, they will have nothing to
rely on. Serzh Sargsyan cannot expect that people will turn away from
Gagik Tsarukyan if his plants close down. Tsarukyan himself cannot
expect that people will attack the president's office with scythes and
reinforcement rods if they are left jobless. People just follow the
path of their fellow village people leading them out of the country.
Most importantly, the opposition cannot rely on social revolt.
However, the Congress has already admitted that it does not have
sufficient mobilization resource for change of government.
The society may wake up only when someone who decided to lead the
social revolt appears who will be legitimate. No force has upheld
social revolt so far, even the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
as people's constitutional right to change government.
And we are going to float in the fairway of choice between the bad
and the worse which are imposed on us by the Armenian presidents.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26555.html
Published: 16:00:59 - 14/06/2012
The stoppage of work of Ararat Cement Company owned by the leader
of Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan was assessed by many
as an attempt of strike and aggravation of the social situation by
Tsarukyan. Although, judging by some information, the closure may
also be caused by breaches which interested the relevant bodies.
However, even if the plant stopped working under the pressure of
the government, it will against cause grievance. But is there any
possibility of social unrest in Armenia which could be used during
the upcoming presidential election?
Only 10.3% of citizens of Armenia think their life is good and they are
satisfied with their living, 3.3% lives well but they are dissatisfied,
49% live bad, though they are already used to their situation, 39.4%
live bad and are dissatisfied. These are the data provided by the
sociological survey on the "Index of quality of life in Armenia in
2001", released by the information department of the government.
Actually, the government acknowledges that 50% of the population
lives badly but has reconciled with it, and 40% live badly and are
dissatisfied. At the same time, the bad ruling parties RPA and PAP
together receive almost 80% of parliamentary seats. Either it means
that the elections were rigged by 100% or that social dissatisfaction
in Armenia is no longer a political category. So, there is no need
to count on them anymore.
2-3 years ago when the memories of the election 2008 were still
fresh and the global crisis impacted the social situation in Armenia,
there was a real possibility of a social revolution. Psychologically,
people could not come to terms with deterioration of the situation
and still believed that it was possible to achieve policy changes by
means of pressure on the government.
However, the Armenian National Congress was another nail in the coffin
of the revolution in Armenia which proclaimed itself a pan-Armenian
movement, the only oppositional force but its function was just to
contain and mitigate social discontent and transform them to surges
of steam through rallies.
No one knows how expressions of social discontent would have ended up
if the Congress had run the risk to lead them. Perhaps, it could have
led to overthrow of the government, new elections and new leaders, or
maybe also blood sharing. But repression of social discontent killed
the only institution that was able to achieve change of government.
Now the society is trying to rehabilitate social revolt through local
civil activities setting forth legal claims. But just like political
parties are unable to do without the social platform, so is the civil
movement unable to do without potential social revolt.
This institution has been killed systematically by the ruling parties
and opposition. Now that they may need it, they will have nothing to
rely on. Serzh Sargsyan cannot expect that people will turn away from
Gagik Tsarukyan if his plants close down. Tsarukyan himself cannot
expect that people will attack the president's office with scythes and
reinforcement rods if they are left jobless. People just follow the
path of their fellow village people leading them out of the country.
Most importantly, the opposition cannot rely on social revolt.
However, the Congress has already admitted that it does not have
sufficient mobilization resource for change of government.
The society may wake up only when someone who decided to lead the
social revolt appears who will be legitimate. No force has upheld
social revolt so far, even the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
as people's constitutional right to change government.
And we are going to float in the fairway of choice between the bad
and the worse which are imposed on us by the Armenian presidents.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress