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SHADOW HAUNTING OSKANIAN
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27763.html
Published: 15:56:07 - 18/10/2012
The ex-foreign minister Vartan Oskanian has started publishing his
electoral program in Facebook. He publishes agenda points which
he thinks are key points of the social discourse and should be the
priorities of the presidential election. In fact, Vartan Oskanian is
being gradually nominated for the presidential election.
In this context, it is obvious that the closer he gets to official
nomination, the longer Robert Kocharyan's shadow becomes which will
be the biggest and strongest "opponent" to Vartan Oskanian in the
presidential election.
In addition, this is objective reality, even though Oskanian states
that Robert Kocharyan is not behind him, and even though Kocharyan
denies any relation to Oskanian's political activities. It is difficult
to give a substantial explanation to the public, especially that
the ex-foreign minister ruthlessly criticizes the current situation
and governance without any basic political evaluation of the former
government he used to be part of.
It is possible that Vartan Oskanian does not have a problem of
subordination, such as Kocharyan may be angry with him, but a problem
of interpersonal relations, such as Kocharyan may be offended. It is
not important. The important fact or its absence is Vartan Oskanian
avoids a public political evaluation of the former administration.
Moreover, Vartan Oskanian offers to speak about it somewhere away
from public rostrums, in "Nikol's office".
Why? Why not in front of the society? Why not close the issue of
the past publicly and deprive the government of the possibility
of propagandist manipulation if mentioning the past is viewed as
manipulation or an attempt to detract from the past.
It is certainly beyond discussion that the present government should
be primarily responsible for political life. But when a key person in
the previous government wants to be part of the present government,
the questions of the public on the past addressed to him are quite
relevant, especially when the line between the previous and the
present ones is not distinct.
When Levon Ter-Petrosyan returned to politics and announced about his
willingness to clean the Augean stables, he was asked fewer questions
on the past years of his office and those questions were perceived
as a plot against the popular movement and detraction from the present.
Not many questions were asked, and those asked did not get substantial
answers. Meanwhile, Levon Ter-Petrosyan's further actions, as well as
processes that followed showed that it was in vain, and the question
arose which already had an answer what would happen if he returned
to government.
A similar situation has occurred relating to Vartan Oskanian,
especially that besides being a personality, who was an ex-high-ranking
and silent official, Robert Kocharyan's eloquent shadow is there.
Apparently, it is time for Vartan Oskanian to enlarge his agenda and
specify the talks about the past for future guarantees. Without it
Vartan Oskanian does not have a political prospect and may simply
join the prominent line of ordinary oppositionists.
Otherwise, a difficult start will await Vartan Oskanian with
complicated questions, complicated and sometimes even unpleasant
discussions. But not always is the easy start good. And easiness is
sometimes seeming and relative. A good start is half the job but an
easy start often stops halfway.
The world is larger than one's own scope. A person who has been a
foreign minister for ten years should have a sense of space and time.
He should be aware of the uselessness and danger of dividing space
and time.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27763.html
Published: 15:56:07 - 18/10/2012
The ex-foreign minister Vartan Oskanian has started publishing his
electoral program in Facebook. He publishes agenda points which
he thinks are key points of the social discourse and should be the
priorities of the presidential election. In fact, Vartan Oskanian is
being gradually nominated for the presidential election.
In this context, it is obvious that the closer he gets to official
nomination, the longer Robert Kocharyan's shadow becomes which will
be the biggest and strongest "opponent" to Vartan Oskanian in the
presidential election.
In addition, this is objective reality, even though Oskanian states
that Robert Kocharyan is not behind him, and even though Kocharyan
denies any relation to Oskanian's political activities. It is difficult
to give a substantial explanation to the public, especially that
the ex-foreign minister ruthlessly criticizes the current situation
and governance without any basic political evaluation of the former
government he used to be part of.
It is possible that Vartan Oskanian does not have a problem of
subordination, such as Kocharyan may be angry with him, but a problem
of interpersonal relations, such as Kocharyan may be offended. It is
not important. The important fact or its absence is Vartan Oskanian
avoids a public political evaluation of the former administration.
Moreover, Vartan Oskanian offers to speak about it somewhere away
from public rostrums, in "Nikol's office".
Why? Why not in front of the society? Why not close the issue of
the past publicly and deprive the government of the possibility
of propagandist manipulation if mentioning the past is viewed as
manipulation or an attempt to detract from the past.
It is certainly beyond discussion that the present government should
be primarily responsible for political life. But when a key person in
the previous government wants to be part of the present government,
the questions of the public on the past addressed to him are quite
relevant, especially when the line between the previous and the
present ones is not distinct.
When Levon Ter-Petrosyan returned to politics and announced about his
willingness to clean the Augean stables, he was asked fewer questions
on the past years of his office and those questions were perceived
as a plot against the popular movement and detraction from the present.
Not many questions were asked, and those asked did not get substantial
answers. Meanwhile, Levon Ter-Petrosyan's further actions, as well as
processes that followed showed that it was in vain, and the question
arose which already had an answer what would happen if he returned
to government.
A similar situation has occurred relating to Vartan Oskanian,
especially that besides being a personality, who was an ex-high-ranking
and silent official, Robert Kocharyan's eloquent shadow is there.
Apparently, it is time for Vartan Oskanian to enlarge his agenda and
specify the talks about the past for future guarantees. Without it
Vartan Oskanian does not have a political prospect and may simply
join the prominent line of ordinary oppositionists.
Otherwise, a difficult start will await Vartan Oskanian with
complicated questions, complicated and sometimes even unpleasant
discussions. But not always is the easy start good. And easiness is
sometimes seeming and relative. A good start is half the job but an
easy start often stops halfway.
The world is larger than one's own scope. A person who has been a
foreign minister for ten years should have a sense of space and time.
He should be aware of the uselessness and danger of dividing space
and time.