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REASON IS LACK OF LAW ON VETERANS
Interview with Sahak Poghosyan, artist
Sahak, you take part actively in the political developments. Do you
think we will have new Armenia on April 9?
I do not understand what new and old Armenia is. We need to make every
next day better. As soon as the society puts forth such an issue,
Armenia will change automatically. But it is absurd to say that we
will live in new Armenia from April 9. The presidential elections
in Armenia are an indicator. During the elections all the negative,
bad aspects of our country are revealed. Elections are like a point
of culmination. The previous presidential election was a theatrical
act, the last one was circus. Everything, including the presidential
candidates, their slogans and actions, evokes a circus. It~Rs been
so since 1996 when Vazgen Sargsyan said the opposition would not win
even if it received 100%.
The first presidential election was normal, all the next elections
were absurd. Vazgen Sargsyan~Rs phrase came from the psychology of
the veterans of war ~V they can do everything. The reason is that no
legal act on veterans was adopted which would define what veterans
will receive from the state after they return from war, what they
will be entitled to in case they are injured, what their heirs will
get if they get killed, etc. Imagine the soldier who destroyed Ben
Laden came and demanded Washington or the state of New Jersey because
he is a hero. Every step they make is regulated by law.
Now imagine a new war which gives birth to new heroes, and since there
is no law on them, there will be antagonism between the old and the
new ones. The problem is that during the presidential elections law
enforcement bodies handle the situation. This election is special
because the winner is not a veteran, and the other wing of veterans
understood that they must deal with this person. Raffi Hovannisian
understood that he cannot achieve solutions with law enforcers so he
chose a new strategic way. I have no doubts about Raffi Hovannisian~Rs
honesty because he is not a Soviet guy, he believes in other values
and is someone with a moral characteristics.
Do you think demands put forth by Raffi Hovannisian are effective?
He did not have another way out. He tried to use the small part of the
available opportunities. He tried to build up his strategy on moral,
not political norms. He tried to use those moral norms which are
popular among people while here moral norms are those of the church,
they are not secular because the Armenians have no idea about secular
moral norms. Traditionally, church values are moral values imposed,
worshipped and preached by the church. It is not accidental that on
the square he said they will have to kill him not to prevent Serzh
Sargsyan who has not been elected from taking an oath on the Bible.
Raffi thought that the church will defend the moralities which he put
forth. Meanwhile, if we want to be a secular state, we must take an
oath on the Constitution.
The Bible comes as a second component. It means the church must
participate in the political processes meanwhile the church is not
ready, it has become one with the government. The church has not
effect on the society as an institution, just like the Constitution
is not functional.
Sahak, in your opinion, what is the way out? Is it possible to achieve
change by means of a shadow government or sharing power?
A shadow government is a good idea but it is impossible in this
situation. We are not so mature to have bodies which will be
independent from the government. The people who say there must be
a shadow government, an alternative or civil government had better
think about creating strong trade unions which would be able to press
the government, like the civil initiatives did in those years.
I don~Rt think Serzh Sargsyan will give up power but at least he can,
and if he wants change, he must take steps otherwise these bloodless
steps will lead to a bloody revolution which is not desirable for
anyone. The demands that Raffi sets are clear. It is necessary to
replace the judiciary system which must be independent.
Our society is afraid of losing what they have, and even what they
don~Rt have. Fear is an overwhelming feeling and it is difficult to
rid of it so easily. People want to live better. But how many people
want to live right? People do not know the difference between living
well and living right.
We want to build a space where we do not want to generate any modern
culture, values aimed at the future because we always speak about
our past, we speak about church, not secular values, so we have not
preserved anything secular so far. The oldest building in Yerevan is
hardly 50 years old. We are hostile to what is secular, we are unable
to preserve secular values.
Siranuysh Papyan 12:23 03/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29493
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Interview with Sahak Poghosyan, artist
Sahak, you take part actively in the political developments. Do you
think we will have new Armenia on April 9?
I do not understand what new and old Armenia is. We need to make every
next day better. As soon as the society puts forth such an issue,
Armenia will change automatically. But it is absurd to say that we
will live in new Armenia from April 9. The presidential elections
in Armenia are an indicator. During the elections all the negative,
bad aspects of our country are revealed. Elections are like a point
of culmination. The previous presidential election was a theatrical
act, the last one was circus. Everything, including the presidential
candidates, their slogans and actions, evokes a circus. It~Rs been
so since 1996 when Vazgen Sargsyan said the opposition would not win
even if it received 100%.
The first presidential election was normal, all the next elections
were absurd. Vazgen Sargsyan~Rs phrase came from the psychology of
the veterans of war ~V they can do everything. The reason is that no
legal act on veterans was adopted which would define what veterans
will receive from the state after they return from war, what they
will be entitled to in case they are injured, what their heirs will
get if they get killed, etc. Imagine the soldier who destroyed Ben
Laden came and demanded Washington or the state of New Jersey because
he is a hero. Every step they make is regulated by law.
Now imagine a new war which gives birth to new heroes, and since there
is no law on them, there will be antagonism between the old and the
new ones. The problem is that during the presidential elections law
enforcement bodies handle the situation. This election is special
because the winner is not a veteran, and the other wing of veterans
understood that they must deal with this person. Raffi Hovannisian
understood that he cannot achieve solutions with law enforcers so he
chose a new strategic way. I have no doubts about Raffi Hovannisian~Rs
honesty because he is not a Soviet guy, he believes in other values
and is someone with a moral characteristics.
Do you think demands put forth by Raffi Hovannisian are effective?
He did not have another way out. He tried to use the small part of the
available opportunities. He tried to build up his strategy on moral,
not political norms. He tried to use those moral norms which are
popular among people while here moral norms are those of the church,
they are not secular because the Armenians have no idea about secular
moral norms. Traditionally, church values are moral values imposed,
worshipped and preached by the church. It is not accidental that on
the square he said they will have to kill him not to prevent Serzh
Sargsyan who has not been elected from taking an oath on the Bible.
Raffi thought that the church will defend the moralities which he put
forth. Meanwhile, if we want to be a secular state, we must take an
oath on the Constitution.
The Bible comes as a second component. It means the church must
participate in the political processes meanwhile the church is not
ready, it has become one with the government. The church has not
effect on the society as an institution, just like the Constitution
is not functional.
Sahak, in your opinion, what is the way out? Is it possible to achieve
change by means of a shadow government or sharing power?
A shadow government is a good idea but it is impossible in this
situation. We are not so mature to have bodies which will be
independent from the government. The people who say there must be
a shadow government, an alternative or civil government had better
think about creating strong trade unions which would be able to press
the government, like the civil initiatives did in those years.
I don~Rt think Serzh Sargsyan will give up power but at least he can,
and if he wants change, he must take steps otherwise these bloodless
steps will lead to a bloody revolution which is not desirable for
anyone. The demands that Raffi sets are clear. It is necessary to
replace the judiciary system which must be independent.
Our society is afraid of losing what they have, and even what they
don~Rt have. Fear is an overwhelming feeling and it is difficult to
rid of it so easily. People want to live better. But how many people
want to live right? People do not know the difference between living
well and living right.
We want to build a space where we do not want to generate any modern
culture, values aimed at the future because we always speak about
our past, we speak about church, not secular values, so we have not
preserved anything secular so far. The oldest building in Yerevan is
hardly 50 years old. We are hostile to what is secular, we are unable
to preserve secular values.
Siranuysh Papyan 12:23 03/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29493
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress