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THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON APRIL 9
Interview with Manvel Sargsyan, director of ACNIS
Mr. Sargsyan, many people think that the post-electoral process ended
on April 9. In your opinion, what happened on April?
Something strange happened on that day. First, thousands of policemen
blocked the way of only 2000 people at 1 km from the presidential
administration, brining barbed wire and water cannons but the behavior
of the police was even stranger, their actions were highly vulnerable,
they simple kidnapped people. The purpose is not clear because they
kidnapped those people who tried to maintain order, prevent people
from active actions. The purpose of the police was not clear. The
impression is that they wanted chaos, an uncontrollable crowd to use
force because they had such an order.
If this is not the purpose of the police, by kidnapping people they
served a bad example with bad consequences for the state. It turns out
that people can be kidnapped, they put it like bring to the police
station, and then they say it is not arrest. Meanwhile, there is
a procedure: first they come up to a person, introduce themselves,
state the reason and only then take someone to the police station.
Meanwhile, most policemen were wearing plain clothes. They think this
is an effective way of solving problems but when illegal things are
done, it will mean that the public has the right to do the same with
the police, officials, Serzh Sargsyan, Tigran Sargsyan and others.
Mr. Sargsyan, when will the regime surrender and is there an agenda
in case the regime surrenders?
If the only way the regime can protect itself is to surround itself
with thousands of policemen, capitulation will take only one step. All
the regimes have behaved so in the world. The societies have kept the
police through peaceful actions in this situation until the police
took to the side of people and yielded the regime. Now if the Armenian
people succeed to self-organize, thousands of policemen will took to
the side of people and will yield the regime. If people are organized,
the use of force will not be effective for a long time. Therefore I am
saying that something very important took place on April 9. It is not
accidental that threats about another March 1 come from all the sides.
It is the only weapon in the regime's arsenal which understands that
use of force will mark the beginning of its end. Therefore the chief
of police was praying.
Lots of people were disappointed after April 9 because they did not
get the promised action plan and left the square. Will the society
be able to self-organize if nothing changes in the next five years?
People are disappointed when they have expectations but who has
invented expectations this time, what did people invent for April
9 that did not come true? Did they hope to storm 26 Baghramyan? The
period till April 9 was the post-electoral process which means that
the election results can be disputed. Since 1996 people have been
convinced that neither the CEC, nor the Constitutional Court would
ever change their decisions, everyone was convinced but they disputed
the results anyway? What did you expect that did not come true?
I expected that inauguration would be followed by a new situation,
a new process, clearly defined objectives, headquarters would be set
up to achieve those objectives.
In that case you have the right to be disappointed but I do not
think that thousands of people thought so. If this were the general
expectation, it would have come true. It's not too late. However, most
people did not even understand the inauguration speech, they did not
understand that a call for civil disobedience was made. This indicates
how irrational all the actions are. It is time to understand that a
post-electoral dispute is devoid of any content and comes and fades
away. However, no dispute can resolve the problem that has been put
forth to people. At best you will have a coup, something regressive.
The main issue is that people want to rid of the system which is
unfair. In the world such problems are resolved by civil movements
which have nothing to do with elections. It is impossible to remove
a regime through post-electoral procedures. The problem is blurred in
the post-electoral period. In 2008 the issue was to remove the bandit
state to which the issue of bringing a specific group to government,
then the issue of disputing added. Then it is proposed to have 500,000
people at one place but it is impossible to have so many people gather
in one place to protest rigged elections. Not even for making the
regime to enter into a dialogue. It is possible only when the goal is
to remove the regime and convincing actions are taken. A civil movement
is not ruled out but the civil movement has a different logic. You will
never succeed unless you know how to bring the regime to its knees.
Is it possible that political forces direct the civil actions?
If a political party or figure wants to come to government through
a civil movement, the movement will be doomed and will not succeed
because coming to power cannot be combined with changing the system,
as soon as these two are combined, everything will be over. Experience
shows that in such countries as Armenia political parties are
perceived as links of government. Therefore, civil movements in all
the countries have realized that the parties should be made to give
up deals with the regime and obey people. Freeing the mechanism
of free elections from the regime stems from the interests of the
same political parties. Political parties do not exist without free
elections or exist in the Armenian way which is well-known to us.
Siranuysh Papyan 18:38 15/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29631
Interview with Manvel Sargsyan, director of ACNIS
Mr. Sargsyan, many people think that the post-electoral process ended
on April 9. In your opinion, what happened on April?
Something strange happened on that day. First, thousands of policemen
blocked the way of only 2000 people at 1 km from the presidential
administration, brining barbed wire and water cannons but the behavior
of the police was even stranger, their actions were highly vulnerable,
they simple kidnapped people. The purpose is not clear because they
kidnapped those people who tried to maintain order, prevent people
from active actions. The purpose of the police was not clear. The
impression is that they wanted chaos, an uncontrollable crowd to use
force because they had such an order.
If this is not the purpose of the police, by kidnapping people they
served a bad example with bad consequences for the state. It turns out
that people can be kidnapped, they put it like bring to the police
station, and then they say it is not arrest. Meanwhile, there is
a procedure: first they come up to a person, introduce themselves,
state the reason and only then take someone to the police station.
Meanwhile, most policemen were wearing plain clothes. They think this
is an effective way of solving problems but when illegal things are
done, it will mean that the public has the right to do the same with
the police, officials, Serzh Sargsyan, Tigran Sargsyan and others.
Mr. Sargsyan, when will the regime surrender and is there an agenda
in case the regime surrenders?
If the only way the regime can protect itself is to surround itself
with thousands of policemen, capitulation will take only one step. All
the regimes have behaved so in the world. The societies have kept the
police through peaceful actions in this situation until the police
took to the side of people and yielded the regime. Now if the Armenian
people succeed to self-organize, thousands of policemen will took to
the side of people and will yield the regime. If people are organized,
the use of force will not be effective for a long time. Therefore I am
saying that something very important took place on April 9. It is not
accidental that threats about another March 1 come from all the sides.
It is the only weapon in the regime's arsenal which understands that
use of force will mark the beginning of its end. Therefore the chief
of police was praying.
Lots of people were disappointed after April 9 because they did not
get the promised action plan and left the square. Will the society
be able to self-organize if nothing changes in the next five years?
People are disappointed when they have expectations but who has
invented expectations this time, what did people invent for April
9 that did not come true? Did they hope to storm 26 Baghramyan? The
period till April 9 was the post-electoral process which means that
the election results can be disputed. Since 1996 people have been
convinced that neither the CEC, nor the Constitutional Court would
ever change their decisions, everyone was convinced but they disputed
the results anyway? What did you expect that did not come true?
I expected that inauguration would be followed by a new situation,
a new process, clearly defined objectives, headquarters would be set
up to achieve those objectives.
In that case you have the right to be disappointed but I do not
think that thousands of people thought so. If this were the general
expectation, it would have come true. It's not too late. However, most
people did not even understand the inauguration speech, they did not
understand that a call for civil disobedience was made. This indicates
how irrational all the actions are. It is time to understand that a
post-electoral dispute is devoid of any content and comes and fades
away. However, no dispute can resolve the problem that has been put
forth to people. At best you will have a coup, something regressive.
The main issue is that people want to rid of the system which is
unfair. In the world such problems are resolved by civil movements
which have nothing to do with elections. It is impossible to remove
a regime through post-electoral procedures. The problem is blurred in
the post-electoral period. In 2008 the issue was to remove the bandit
state to which the issue of bringing a specific group to government,
then the issue of disputing added. Then it is proposed to have 500,000
people at one place but it is impossible to have so many people gather
in one place to protest rigged elections. Not even for making the
regime to enter into a dialogue. It is possible only when the goal is
to remove the regime and convincing actions are taken. A civil movement
is not ruled out but the civil movement has a different logic. You will
never succeed unless you know how to bring the regime to its knees.
Is it possible that political forces direct the civil actions?
If a political party or figure wants to come to government through
a civil movement, the movement will be doomed and will not succeed
because coming to power cannot be combined with changing the system,
as soon as these two are combined, everything will be over. Experience
shows that in such countries as Armenia political parties are
perceived as links of government. Therefore, civil movements in all
the countries have realized that the parties should be made to give
up deals with the regime and obey people. Freeing the mechanism
of free elections from the regime stems from the interests of the
same political parties. Political parties do not exist without free
elections or exist in the Armenian way which is well-known to us.
Siranuysh Papyan 18:38 15/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/29631