Tweet
I Have The Honor
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26256.html
Published: 13:23:51 - 19/05/2012
In Armenia the institution of political responsibility is absent. In the
past 20 years, we can remember only a few cases when the political forces
or figures claimed responsible for something and undertook political steps.
We can remember only President Levon Ter-Petrosyan's resignation which he
explained by refusal to assume responsibility for the proposed solution to
the Karabakh issue.
Then we can remember Speaker Artur Baghdasaryan's resignation in 2006 who
disagreed with the domestic policy of the ruling party and was reluctant to
assume responsibility for this policy.
Something similar happened when Dashnaktsutyun left the ruling coalition in
connection with Serzh Sargsyan's football diplomacy.
One can remember a few more cases but they lack a variety of indicators of
existence of the institution of political responsibility in Armenia. It did
not exist for several reasons: lack of political concept of honor, as well
as the weak dependence of the election on the public opinion.
The political forces and figures come to power independently from what the
society thinks about their programs. Moreover, the society is deprived of
methods of control over the political parties after the elections. There is
no mechanism for recall of elected representatives, accountability of
parties, not to mention that the elections are simply rigged.
So, a model of pseudo-democracy is established where there are parties and
elections are held but the public opinion is not decisive. It leads to
total loss of the institution of the political honor which supposes that
the political carrier depends on the fulfillment of the election promises
and respect of moral rules.
In Germany, the minister of defense was sacked for plagiarism, while the
president was `dismissed' for a loan he had received at a softer rate.
These people resigned though their fault was not proved.
In Armenia, after the elections the press reported that the parties are
demanding back the money they had disbursed to their proxies for bribes.
None of the mentioned parties has denied these rumors. The parties cannot
deny these rumors rumors because they know the mass media has facts.
On the other hand, one feels ashamed to read such information, one feels
ashamed of living in a country where no one remembers about honor and
dignity even when they are insulted, let alone political honor in a country
where parties announced the elections were rigged but would not resign from
parliament, where people complain of tough social conditions but vote for
the ruling party.
The paradox of pseudo-democracy in Armenia is that the society has totally
alienated the notions of justice, dignity and responsibility in politics.
The society does not expect politicians to have these qualities, it is not
looking for them in the political system but in others - pseudo-patriotic,
kleptocratic, the patriarchal clannish, moral and historical. Here it is
trying to find the system of values that is based on honor. The society
leaves a special field for the politicians where you can deceive, conspire,
and pretend that you are not reproached.
Honor is first of all readiness of a person to fulfill the responsibilities
he or she has assumed. The world system is based on the honor, since the
Constitution and laws are the voluntary obligation of people to follow
certain rules. The lack of internal honor and responsibility means we live
in a system of values completely different from the constitutional system.
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26256.html
Published: 13:23:51 - 19/05/2012
In Armenia the institution of political responsibility is absent. In the
past 20 years, we can remember only a few cases when the political forces
or figures claimed responsible for something and undertook political steps.
We can remember only President Levon Ter-Petrosyan's resignation which he
explained by refusal to assume responsibility for the proposed solution to
the Karabakh issue.
Then we can remember Speaker Artur Baghdasaryan's resignation in 2006 who
disagreed with the domestic policy of the ruling party and was reluctant to
assume responsibility for this policy.
Something similar happened when Dashnaktsutyun left the ruling coalition in
connection with Serzh Sargsyan's football diplomacy.
One can remember a few more cases but they lack a variety of indicators of
existence of the institution of political responsibility in Armenia. It did
not exist for several reasons: lack of political concept of honor, as well
as the weak dependence of the election on the public opinion.
The political forces and figures come to power independently from what the
society thinks about their programs. Moreover, the society is deprived of
methods of control over the political parties after the elections. There is
no mechanism for recall of elected representatives, accountability of
parties, not to mention that the elections are simply rigged.
So, a model of pseudo-democracy is established where there are parties and
elections are held but the public opinion is not decisive. It leads to
total loss of the institution of the political honor which supposes that
the political carrier depends on the fulfillment of the election promises
and respect of moral rules.
In Germany, the minister of defense was sacked for plagiarism, while the
president was `dismissed' for a loan he had received at a softer rate.
These people resigned though their fault was not proved.
In Armenia, after the elections the press reported that the parties are
demanding back the money they had disbursed to their proxies for bribes.
None of the mentioned parties has denied these rumors. The parties cannot
deny these rumors rumors because they know the mass media has facts.
On the other hand, one feels ashamed to read such information, one feels
ashamed of living in a country where no one remembers about honor and
dignity even when they are insulted, let alone political honor in a country
where parties announced the elections were rigged but would not resign from
parliament, where people complain of tough social conditions but vote for
the ruling party.
The paradox of pseudo-democracy in Armenia is that the society has totally
alienated the notions of justice, dignity and responsibility in politics.
The society does not expect politicians to have these qualities, it is not
looking for them in the political system but in others - pseudo-patriotic,
kleptocratic, the patriarchal clannish, moral and historical. Here it is
trying to find the system of values that is based on honor. The society
leaves a special field for the politicians where you can deceive, conspire,
and pretend that you are not reproached.
Honor is first of all readiness of a person to fulfill the responsibilities
he or she has assumed. The world system is based on the honor, since the
Constitution and laws are the voluntary obligation of people to follow
certain rules. The lack of internal honor and responsibility means we live
in a system of values completely different from the constitutional system.