WHO WOULD LIKE TO HEAD SUCH A COUNTRY?
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country27282.html
Published: 16:14:59 - 03/09/2012
Armenia always comes to a situation when, perhaps, it has to look for
a person who will assume the responsibility to manage it. In any case,
it is clear that those wishing to become president of such a country
are few. Actually, it does not look odd, because the next president
of Armenia will need remarkable courage.
Perhaps, this is the reason why those, who previously pretended to this
position, change their minds now. Since not only a hard choice, but
also events like Georgia are expected in Armenia. In this situation,
Armenia's president may be either a person enjoying absolute legitimacy
or an Armenian Saakashvili able to cut the old links, break standards,
stereotypes and show a little adventuress, and consistently build a
new system in the country.
Reforms in Armenia seem to be waiting for such a person. Everything
seems to be done on the legislative plain, everything is ready, but
there is no political will as the U.S. Ambassador John Heffern says.
No will - no reform, no reform - no investment, no investment -
no support by the West.
So we have a closed circuit: Serzh Sargsyan announced the policy
of European integration and received support from the West for the
European reforms, then he tightened the "silent anti-Russian rhetoric"
and got a little more support. But the final assurance that the West
will support unconditionally Sargsyan is not in place. And the thing
is about the political will.
What will happen if the West does not notice the will and decides not
to support Serzh Sargsyan? What the Armenian political landscape will
be. Will there be someone like Saakashvili able to cut ties with the
soviet past? May we expect surprises on the eve of the nomination of
candidates for president?
To date, unfortunately there are no prerequisites. And it is obvious
that the West will insist that Serzh Sargsyan shows more courage and
will, relating to the country's oligarchs and external patrons.
Actually, the one is connected with the other: if it becomes harder
for Serzh Sargsyan to deal with the oligarchs, it will be responded
in Russia, and, conversely, if he toughens rhetoric with Moscow,
the position of the oligarchs in Armenia will diminish.
Otherwise Sargsyan can really remain without support, and in this case,
even the presence of the administrative machine may not work.
Therefore, his only chance is the political will. In addition,
the presence of such a will supplant his rivals in the notoriously
negative field, when they will either have to prove that the oligarchs
and the Eurasian Union is good, or just blackmail.
Or he will have to admit that he cannot become the Armenian
Saakashvili.
Naira Hayrumyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country27282.html
Published: 16:14:59 - 03/09/2012
Armenia always comes to a situation when, perhaps, it has to look for
a person who will assume the responsibility to manage it. In any case,
it is clear that those wishing to become president of such a country
are few. Actually, it does not look odd, because the next president
of Armenia will need remarkable courage.
Perhaps, this is the reason why those, who previously pretended to this
position, change their minds now. Since not only a hard choice, but
also events like Georgia are expected in Armenia. In this situation,
Armenia's president may be either a person enjoying absolute legitimacy
or an Armenian Saakashvili able to cut the old links, break standards,
stereotypes and show a little adventuress, and consistently build a
new system in the country.
Reforms in Armenia seem to be waiting for such a person. Everything
seems to be done on the legislative plain, everything is ready, but
there is no political will as the U.S. Ambassador John Heffern says.
No will - no reform, no reform - no investment, no investment -
no support by the West.
So we have a closed circuit: Serzh Sargsyan announced the policy
of European integration and received support from the West for the
European reforms, then he tightened the "silent anti-Russian rhetoric"
and got a little more support. But the final assurance that the West
will support unconditionally Sargsyan is not in place. And the thing
is about the political will.
What will happen if the West does not notice the will and decides not
to support Serzh Sargsyan? What the Armenian political landscape will
be. Will there be someone like Saakashvili able to cut ties with the
soviet past? May we expect surprises on the eve of the nomination of
candidates for president?
To date, unfortunately there are no prerequisites. And it is obvious
that the West will insist that Serzh Sargsyan shows more courage and
will, relating to the country's oligarchs and external patrons.
Actually, the one is connected with the other: if it becomes harder
for Serzh Sargsyan to deal with the oligarchs, it will be responded
in Russia, and, conversely, if he toughens rhetoric with Moscow,
the position of the oligarchs in Armenia will diminish.
Otherwise Sargsyan can really remain without support, and in this case,
even the presence of the administrative machine may not work.
Therefore, his only chance is the political will. In addition,
the presence of such a will supplant his rivals in the notoriously
negative field, when they will either have to prove that the oligarchs
and the Eurasian Union is good, or just blackmail.
Or he will have to admit that he cannot become the Armenian
Saakashvili.