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Criminal Oligarchy Is Opening Up New Fronts of Violation of Human Rights
Interview with Saro Saroyan, historian, ACNIS expert
Saro, will civil disobedience follow parallel inauguration of Serzh
Sargsyan and Raffi Hovannisian on April 9 or will the wave fade away?
It's hard to guess the aftermaths of April 9 because tendencies are
not outlining yet to answer your question. Only the intentions of
Serzh Sargsyan's and Raffi Hovannisian's teams (recognition of the
election or new election) and expectations (government positions) are
known. Both camps find negotiations as a way leading to the solution
of the problem. However, their expectations are so different that the
current situation is described by uncertainty. The society feels the
uncertainty of politicians and assessment of their attitude is twice
as difficult. Hence, the future of disobedience will depend on the
correlation of the public potential and expectations, their
expectations from politicians.
Will the shadow government discussed at the civil forum be a solution
and gain legitimacy?
It is necessary to find a solution which will put the country on the
path for development with minimum losses. Alternative government,
alternative elections, civil disobedience are the most frequently
discussed mechanisms on the square. However, it is important to pay
attention to the circumstance that they all refuse the strategy of
struggle based on the existing faulty mechanisms established over the
past twenty years. It is early to guess which of these mechanisms will
underlie the new movement. However, there is another way of toppling
the regime which is different from the futile party struggle, and it
has proved effective over the past year. It is possible to achieve
change only if we reject the logic of elections rigged by the regime
and the futile pre- and post-electoral party struggle. The level of
legitimacy will depend on the attitude of the society. There is no
better source of identification of reputation than public confidence
in its decisions and actions. So any public behavior that gets public
confidence and produces results is initially legitimate.
Saro, what change has the civil society undergone?
There is no civil society in Armenia. There are citizens who are aware
of their rights, including scientists, professors, journalists, people
with other professions. We still lack fully functioning institutions.
I mean trade unions, NGOs. Those in place are guided by narrow
interests. Meanwhile, the citizens with legal consciousness are not
united. But this is normal and is explained by conscious and
psychological traits. After all, people also need intrinsic motivation
to unite. As to external signals, it is clear that a maximum number of
citizens must be united by one problem and head towards its solution.
Since the criminal oligarchic regime is the source of all the problems
of our country, its elimination is the focus of the civil society. But
the awareness of the difficulty of this problem repels citizens. The
criminal oligarchy is opening up new fronts of violation of human
rights so I am sure that the importance of this problem will overcome
the awareness of the difficulty of the problem and boost public
resistance.
There is an opinion that civil initiatives are directed by political forces.
There is a natural wish in parties to direct civil initiatives. The
issue is whether the civil initiatives are aware of this and how they
interact with parties. If they know and readily serve the political
parties, they become attachments of political parties. Such civil
initiatives cannot be independent. However, at the same time, it
should be noted that the civil initiatives can interact with parties
to solve the problems they target. It is the most honest way. However,
since the communist traditions are dominant in Armenia, the political
parties, the parties want the civil initiatives to recognize their
dominance. The communist idea is that the political party is the
highest form of association.
Saro, civil activists were more ready to support the post-electoral
movement than the political forces. Why?
Due to lots of circumstances. First, Raffi Hovannisian-civil activists
format. Hovannisian's image is more acceptable for the civil
activists. Besides, there is a positive experience of cooperation with
civil activists. Most member of the Heritage Party are often at
hotbeds of struggle. We should not forget that Hovannisian has always
supported political and civil unification and as continuation of this
idea during the rallies he announced about the necessity to put aside
party flags.
As to Raffi Hovannisian-poltiical forces format, party interests
clashed. It is a big obstacle to toppling the criminal oligarchic
regime. This lack of unity will follow any movement that will be
guided by political forces for the simple reason that no political
force would wish another political force to come to government in the
result of its struggle. Fragmental interests must be discarded. This
is our way of unification.
Siranuysh Papyan
14:54 06/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29536
From: Baghdasarian
Interview with Saro Saroyan, historian, ACNIS expert
Saro, will civil disobedience follow parallel inauguration of Serzh
Sargsyan and Raffi Hovannisian on April 9 or will the wave fade away?
It's hard to guess the aftermaths of April 9 because tendencies are
not outlining yet to answer your question. Only the intentions of
Serzh Sargsyan's and Raffi Hovannisian's teams (recognition of the
election or new election) and expectations (government positions) are
known. Both camps find negotiations as a way leading to the solution
of the problem. However, their expectations are so different that the
current situation is described by uncertainty. The society feels the
uncertainty of politicians and assessment of their attitude is twice
as difficult. Hence, the future of disobedience will depend on the
correlation of the public potential and expectations, their
expectations from politicians.
Will the shadow government discussed at the civil forum be a solution
and gain legitimacy?
It is necessary to find a solution which will put the country on the
path for development with minimum losses. Alternative government,
alternative elections, civil disobedience are the most frequently
discussed mechanisms on the square. However, it is important to pay
attention to the circumstance that they all refuse the strategy of
struggle based on the existing faulty mechanisms established over the
past twenty years. It is early to guess which of these mechanisms will
underlie the new movement. However, there is another way of toppling
the regime which is different from the futile party struggle, and it
has proved effective over the past year. It is possible to achieve
change only if we reject the logic of elections rigged by the regime
and the futile pre- and post-electoral party struggle. The level of
legitimacy will depend on the attitude of the society. There is no
better source of identification of reputation than public confidence
in its decisions and actions. So any public behavior that gets public
confidence and produces results is initially legitimate.
Saro, what change has the civil society undergone?
There is no civil society in Armenia. There are citizens who are aware
of their rights, including scientists, professors, journalists, people
with other professions. We still lack fully functioning institutions.
I mean trade unions, NGOs. Those in place are guided by narrow
interests. Meanwhile, the citizens with legal consciousness are not
united. But this is normal and is explained by conscious and
psychological traits. After all, people also need intrinsic motivation
to unite. As to external signals, it is clear that a maximum number of
citizens must be united by one problem and head towards its solution.
Since the criminal oligarchic regime is the source of all the problems
of our country, its elimination is the focus of the civil society. But
the awareness of the difficulty of this problem repels citizens. The
criminal oligarchy is opening up new fronts of violation of human
rights so I am sure that the importance of this problem will overcome
the awareness of the difficulty of the problem and boost public
resistance.
There is an opinion that civil initiatives are directed by political forces.
There is a natural wish in parties to direct civil initiatives. The
issue is whether the civil initiatives are aware of this and how they
interact with parties. If they know and readily serve the political
parties, they become attachments of political parties. Such civil
initiatives cannot be independent. However, at the same time, it
should be noted that the civil initiatives can interact with parties
to solve the problems they target. It is the most honest way. However,
since the communist traditions are dominant in Armenia, the political
parties, the parties want the civil initiatives to recognize their
dominance. The communist idea is that the political party is the
highest form of association.
Saro, civil activists were more ready to support the post-electoral
movement than the political forces. Why?
Due to lots of circumstances. First, Raffi Hovannisian-civil activists
format. Hovannisian's image is more acceptable for the civil
activists. Besides, there is a positive experience of cooperation with
civil activists. Most member of the Heritage Party are often at
hotbeds of struggle. We should not forget that Hovannisian has always
supported political and civil unification and as continuation of this
idea during the rallies he announced about the necessity to put aside
party flags.
As to Raffi Hovannisian-poltiical forces format, party interests
clashed. It is a big obstacle to toppling the criminal oligarchic
regime. This lack of unity will follow any movement that will be
guided by political forces for the simple reason that no political
force would wish another political force to come to government in the
result of its struggle. Fragmental interests must be discarded. This
is our way of unification.
Siranuysh Papyan
14:54 06/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29536
From: Baghdasarian