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FROM BOUTIQUE TO SYSTEM
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview26005.html
Published: 12:08:37 - 01/05/2012
Interview with expert of the Center for National and International
Studies, political scientist Edgar Vardanyan
Edgar, is the campaign of 2012 different from the previous one? Are
new technologies used or is there the consciousness to change anything
in the country by way of elections?
First let me note that new technologies are not used during the
campaign. In this sense, this campaign does not differ from the
previous one but there are some new elements. The Prosperous Armenia
Party which is part of the ruling coalition and signed the agreement
to support the president in the 2013 presidential elections is now
criticizing its coalition partners. The interesting thing is that the
main critics are the newcomers of the PAP, namely Vartan Oskanian (who,
by the way, doubts the fairness of the upcoming elections) and people
who are on the PAP list but are not a member of the BHP, such as Gurgen
Arsenyan. In general, the secondary pro-government forces have put on
an opposition image in the election period but the strange thing here
is that one of the main pro-government forces continues to criticize
the ruling force, without leaving the coalition, without refusing to
support the candidacy of the leader of the ruling political force.
Can this be just an imitation of a scenario written by the authorities?
There can be three options explaining this phenomenon. The authorities
may have a shadow decision to send the PAP to the opposition which
would try to win over the opposition votes through false opposition
rhetoric, making the reproduction of the government easier. The part
of the society which supports the opposition but does not support
any of the opposition parties may vote for the PAP which, being a
rich force with administrative levers and opposition behavior, may
attract many votes. The second option is that this phenomenon is the
result of internal governmental conflicts between the clans. In other
words, there is disagreement inside the government where every group is
trying to concentrate possibly more resources and hold more favorable
positions in the system. In this case, the PAP, understanding that
the opposition votes may help it in the RPA-OYP fight, skillfully
entered into this game.
But there can be also a third version. It is not ruled out that part
of the oligarchy does not like the RPA monopoly and tried to ruin
it by playing with the protest moods of the society. By the way,
hoping that they will be able to deceive everyone, people who really
advocate democracy, as well as opportunists may join the game.
One more feature of this campaign is the situational alliances of
various forces and their efforts to blacken each other's name may be
the consequence of the aforementioned "game".
There is a common opinion that there is no alternative in this
election.
The problem is other. The problem is not that the society is
disappointed because it cannot find a normal program with a social
and economic focus or worthy political figures. The society sees they
will not find any means to hinder the mechanism-obstacles to fair
elections so they consider their voting pointless. Or, reluctant to
spoil relations with different levels of authorities they deal with,
they are forced to vote for the ruling parties expecting material gain.
Were the issue the lack of social-economic alternative or alternative
political figures, people could just ruin the ballots and cause a
serious political crisis. But people won't believe everyone will spoil
the ballots, or even if they do the government will find ways to rig
the elections again. If the democratic institutions don't work in the
period before elections, if the society doesn't create trouble for
the government, during the elections, even if they are held without
major breaches, the opposition will find it difficult to find resources
for a winning atmosphere. So, the society needs to form a democratic
movement before elections to form the basis for fair elections.
But there is no such force. Are such attempts possible at the civic
level?
Different civic initiatives have the potential to form such
a movement. There is an opinion that the civil activities are
apolitical so they can't initiate systemic changes and destroy the
criminal-oligarchic system. I disagree. If a person sets a task, for
example, to have the boutiques dismantled then they see during the
fight that they are spoken the language of violence and understands
that the issue is systemic, or their final goal will be to dismantle
the illegal system in Armenia.
From: Baghdasarian
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview26005.html
Published: 12:08:37 - 01/05/2012
Interview with expert of the Center for National and International
Studies, political scientist Edgar Vardanyan
Edgar, is the campaign of 2012 different from the previous one? Are
new technologies used or is there the consciousness to change anything
in the country by way of elections?
First let me note that new technologies are not used during the
campaign. In this sense, this campaign does not differ from the
previous one but there are some new elements. The Prosperous Armenia
Party which is part of the ruling coalition and signed the agreement
to support the president in the 2013 presidential elections is now
criticizing its coalition partners. The interesting thing is that the
main critics are the newcomers of the PAP, namely Vartan Oskanian (who,
by the way, doubts the fairness of the upcoming elections) and people
who are on the PAP list but are not a member of the BHP, such as Gurgen
Arsenyan. In general, the secondary pro-government forces have put on
an opposition image in the election period but the strange thing here
is that one of the main pro-government forces continues to criticize
the ruling force, without leaving the coalition, without refusing to
support the candidacy of the leader of the ruling political force.
Can this be just an imitation of a scenario written by the authorities?
There can be three options explaining this phenomenon. The authorities
may have a shadow decision to send the PAP to the opposition which
would try to win over the opposition votes through false opposition
rhetoric, making the reproduction of the government easier. The part
of the society which supports the opposition but does not support
any of the opposition parties may vote for the PAP which, being a
rich force with administrative levers and opposition behavior, may
attract many votes. The second option is that this phenomenon is the
result of internal governmental conflicts between the clans. In other
words, there is disagreement inside the government where every group is
trying to concentrate possibly more resources and hold more favorable
positions in the system. In this case, the PAP, understanding that
the opposition votes may help it in the RPA-OYP fight, skillfully
entered into this game.
But there can be also a third version. It is not ruled out that part
of the oligarchy does not like the RPA monopoly and tried to ruin
it by playing with the protest moods of the society. By the way,
hoping that they will be able to deceive everyone, people who really
advocate democracy, as well as opportunists may join the game.
One more feature of this campaign is the situational alliances of
various forces and their efforts to blacken each other's name may be
the consequence of the aforementioned "game".
There is a common opinion that there is no alternative in this
election.
The problem is other. The problem is not that the society is
disappointed because it cannot find a normal program with a social
and economic focus or worthy political figures. The society sees they
will not find any means to hinder the mechanism-obstacles to fair
elections so they consider their voting pointless. Or, reluctant to
spoil relations with different levels of authorities they deal with,
they are forced to vote for the ruling parties expecting material gain.
Were the issue the lack of social-economic alternative or alternative
political figures, people could just ruin the ballots and cause a
serious political crisis. But people won't believe everyone will spoil
the ballots, or even if they do the government will find ways to rig
the elections again. If the democratic institutions don't work in the
period before elections, if the society doesn't create trouble for
the government, during the elections, even if they are held without
major breaches, the opposition will find it difficult to find resources
for a winning atmosphere. So, the society needs to form a democratic
movement before elections to form the basis for fair elections.
But there is no such force. Are such attempts possible at the civic
level?
Different civic initiatives have the potential to form such
a movement. There is an opinion that the civil activities are
apolitical so they can't initiate systemic changes and destroy the
criminal-oligarchic system. I disagree. If a person sets a task, for
example, to have the boutiques dismantled then they see during the
fight that they are spoken the language of violence and understands
that the issue is systemic, or their final goal will be to dismantle
the illegal system in Armenia.
From: Baghdasarian