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What Will Be If Government Starts Disarming PAP?
The incident at the Memorial to Genocide Victims caused a scandal in
the social networks which was inevitable. Gagik Tsarukyan's supporters
were indignant indeed. What happened was highly symbolic. For the
first time Tsarukyan was refused something in public, and it was done
by a policemen, the police being the main pillar of Serzh Sargsyan's
administration. While posturing to be outside the government during
the second election, and declared to be opposition by some of its
figures, the PAP is upset to be denied access to governmental
resources.
In addition, Tsarukyan and others want to use the government resources
not to make some political compromises, for example, but to take care
of their own personal privileges. What is politically invisible or is
possible to hide behind traditional wording was seen more vividly and
showed that so far the Prosperous Armenia is not ready for radical
change.
How is the PAP going to begin with Yerevan if its members are not
ready to give away their privileges at least in their private life?
The government, including the police, knows the PAP is not government.
It continues to have close economic and political ties which are
nothing more but inertia of the past. Now the government dares to
speak the first that the PAP is not government and creates a
convenient situation for that. It seems that Tsarukyan and PAP should
finally use their chance to separate from the government and overcome
the complex to declare themselves opposition. The opposition provided
the platform for that by means of the first president's speech. The
government is also pushing for that, ensuring the starting conditions.
However, the PAP would not express anything about this fact except
indignation.
It is hard to tell why the government wants to push the PAP to take
such steps. It is clear, of course, that even if the policeman acted
in compliance with law, this is not the police that is committed to
compliance of its actions with its professional duties. In other
words, there had been a direct or indirect political approval. Hence,
the government shows its stance clearly with help of its law
enforcement agency. This could be an act of showing teeth to Tsarukyan
or a highly concentrated demo of the disadvantages of being
opposition. At least, a red thread ran across this incident.
The reaction of the PAP is controversial, notably in the context of
the mayoral election of Yerevan. It is controversial because the
content and targets of criticism point out that there is hope to
present to the opposition electorate's support in this election but
there is no wish to be an independent and self-determined subject and
to assume responsibility for this electorate.
On the other hand, the lack of long-term and lasting strategies and
focus on short-term fragmental interests is revealed. Division or at
least decentralization of forces is seen clearly. On the one hand, the
PAP pursues opposition interests under Oskanian's guidance, tries to
capitalize resources in the opposition sector, since last year,
including the joint campaign headquarters, dialogue with the PAP, etc.
On the other hand, Tsarukyan feels discomfort already after the first
attempt.
Given limitation of Tsarukyan's resources in such an everyday setting,
it is interesting to guess what will happen if the government sets to
disarm Tsarukyan fully. In the context of the mayoral election it will
open up an interesting chain of controversies that exist inside the
PAP. In any case, unlike his team, Tsarukyan is well-aware of his
interests, at least formulated for himself only. He does not want to
enter into a confrontation with the government. First, it will bring
more loss than benefits. Evidence is his refusal to run in the
presidential election. It is possible to fight at a local and indirect
level. It is only left to keep Tsarukyan away from such situations
which he has been doing recently, beginning from the presidential
election, refraining from all kinds of political meetings.
The negative thing about this is the waste of the opposition
electorate against the uncertainty of the Prosperous Armenia Party.
Part of the opposition does not seem to be against capitalizing this
electorate to offer it to the PAP while the other part did not manage
to consolidate and prevent this process. In fact, the government has
set to this prevention indirectly. The issue of PAP's existence as an
independent political subject is put forth, and they will hardly
manage to address to it before the election, while after the election
the answer to it might be the beginning of liquidation of the
Prosperous Armenia Party.
Levon Margaryan
16:56 26/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29738
The incident at the Memorial to Genocide Victims caused a scandal in
the social networks which was inevitable. Gagik Tsarukyan's supporters
were indignant indeed. What happened was highly symbolic. For the
first time Tsarukyan was refused something in public, and it was done
by a policemen, the police being the main pillar of Serzh Sargsyan's
administration. While posturing to be outside the government during
the second election, and declared to be opposition by some of its
figures, the PAP is upset to be denied access to governmental
resources.
In addition, Tsarukyan and others want to use the government resources
not to make some political compromises, for example, but to take care
of their own personal privileges. What is politically invisible or is
possible to hide behind traditional wording was seen more vividly and
showed that so far the Prosperous Armenia is not ready for radical
change.
How is the PAP going to begin with Yerevan if its members are not
ready to give away their privileges at least in their private life?
The government, including the police, knows the PAP is not government.
It continues to have close economic and political ties which are
nothing more but inertia of the past. Now the government dares to
speak the first that the PAP is not government and creates a
convenient situation for that. It seems that Tsarukyan and PAP should
finally use their chance to separate from the government and overcome
the complex to declare themselves opposition. The opposition provided
the platform for that by means of the first president's speech. The
government is also pushing for that, ensuring the starting conditions.
However, the PAP would not express anything about this fact except
indignation.
It is hard to tell why the government wants to push the PAP to take
such steps. It is clear, of course, that even if the policeman acted
in compliance with law, this is not the police that is committed to
compliance of its actions with its professional duties. In other
words, there had been a direct or indirect political approval. Hence,
the government shows its stance clearly with help of its law
enforcement agency. This could be an act of showing teeth to Tsarukyan
or a highly concentrated demo of the disadvantages of being
opposition. At least, a red thread ran across this incident.
The reaction of the PAP is controversial, notably in the context of
the mayoral election of Yerevan. It is controversial because the
content and targets of criticism point out that there is hope to
present to the opposition electorate's support in this election but
there is no wish to be an independent and self-determined subject and
to assume responsibility for this electorate.
On the other hand, the lack of long-term and lasting strategies and
focus on short-term fragmental interests is revealed. Division or at
least decentralization of forces is seen clearly. On the one hand, the
PAP pursues opposition interests under Oskanian's guidance, tries to
capitalize resources in the opposition sector, since last year,
including the joint campaign headquarters, dialogue with the PAP, etc.
On the other hand, Tsarukyan feels discomfort already after the first
attempt.
Given limitation of Tsarukyan's resources in such an everyday setting,
it is interesting to guess what will happen if the government sets to
disarm Tsarukyan fully. In the context of the mayoral election it will
open up an interesting chain of controversies that exist inside the
PAP. In any case, unlike his team, Tsarukyan is well-aware of his
interests, at least formulated for himself only. He does not want to
enter into a confrontation with the government. First, it will bring
more loss than benefits. Evidence is his refusal to run in the
presidential election. It is possible to fight at a local and indirect
level. It is only left to keep Tsarukyan away from such situations
which he has been doing recently, beginning from the presidential
election, refraining from all kinds of political meetings.
The negative thing about this is the waste of the opposition
electorate against the uncertainty of the Prosperous Armenia Party.
Part of the opposition does not seem to be against capitalizing this
electorate to offer it to the PAP while the other part did not manage
to consolidate and prevent this process. In fact, the government has
set to this prevention indirectly. The issue of PAP's existence as an
independent political subject is put forth, and they will hardly
manage to address to it before the election, while after the election
the answer to it might be the beginning of liquidation of the
Prosperous Armenia Party.
Levon Margaryan
16:56 26/04/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29738