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CONSPIRACY?: RULING PARTY REP SEES OUTSIDE INFLUENCE BEHIND BUS FARE HIKE PROTESTS IN YEREVAN
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/47959/armenia_bus_fare_rise_protests_russia_eu_associati on_agreement
ANALYSIS | 24.07.13 | 09:49
Photolure
Razmik Zohrabyan
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Vice-chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Razmik
Zohrabyan has urged the youth not to succumb to provocations of
superpowers and not to fuel social tensions in the country.
The senior member of the governing party made the appeal in response to
continuing protests in Yerevan against the 50-percent rise in public
transport fares. The protests that first started on Friday, on the
eve of the day when the new fare rates became effective, have been
growing stronger in the following days, with analysts describing the
phenomenon as a classic social rebellion. These protests, however, can
be more precisely described as first civil disobedience actions when
people do not obey government decisions they consider to be unlawful.
Protesters speak about the absence of grounds for such an increase in
bus fares which is disproportionate even to the rise in natural gas
prices, while diesel fuel prices have not risen recently at all. Also,
protesters challenge the legal procedure on making the decision, saying
that the decision made by Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan has not been
published yet, which means that it has not entered legal force yet.
The opposition Barev Yerevan faction in the Council of Elders of
Yerevan has called for an extraordinary meeting of the body to discuss
the situation. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which is not
represented in Yerevan's municipal assembly, has backed the call.
Meanwhile, Mayor Margaryan has not commented on the situation, while
President Serzh Sargsyan and Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan are
on vacation in Austria.
With conspiracy theories being very popular in Armenia, authorities
have used, on a number of occasions, references to 'world conspiracies'
in settling problems with their own society. But this time there
might be quite real grounds behind what Zohrabyan says. A social
revolt and destabilization in the country would play into the hands
of those who do not want Armenia to initial an Association Agreement
with the European Union in autumn.
At first glance, Russia would be the first party interested in that.
On the level of pundits and political analysts the Kremlin has
tried to derail Armenia from its European course. On the other
hand, there is an opinion that the Armenian government itself would
be interested in delaying the initialing of the document to avoid
immediate complications. Some circles have hinted that as the process
has provoked a strong reaction from Russia and its consequences may
be unpredictable, it is better not to hurry in the negotiations with
the EU.
It would hardly be serious to contend, however, that the Armenian
authorities would themselves provoke a social uprising in order
to postpone the initialing of the Association Agreement with the
EU. Most likely, after the recent increase in natural gas prices,
which was accepted in society relatively easily, the authorities have
decided that they can carry out yet another act of 'racketeering'
and get away with it. But this time it apparently didn't work.
No doubt, some forces can use the social rebellion and anti-government
sentiments to, indeed, provoke unrest, but there seems to be a broader
understanding now that in that case blame would lie not with the
rebellious youth whom the senior Republican is accusing of playing
into outside forces' hands, but with the authority who have been
accused by critics of pursuing a policy of 'racketeering' the public.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/47959/armenia_bus_fare_rise_protests_russia_eu_associati on_agreement
ANALYSIS | 24.07.13 | 09:49
Photolure
Razmik Zohrabyan
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Vice-chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Razmik
Zohrabyan has urged the youth not to succumb to provocations of
superpowers and not to fuel social tensions in the country.
The senior member of the governing party made the appeal in response to
continuing protests in Yerevan against the 50-percent rise in public
transport fares. The protests that first started on Friday, on the
eve of the day when the new fare rates became effective, have been
growing stronger in the following days, with analysts describing the
phenomenon as a classic social rebellion. These protests, however, can
be more precisely described as first civil disobedience actions when
people do not obey government decisions they consider to be unlawful.
Protesters speak about the absence of grounds for such an increase in
bus fares which is disproportionate even to the rise in natural gas
prices, while diesel fuel prices have not risen recently at all. Also,
protesters challenge the legal procedure on making the decision, saying
that the decision made by Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan has not been
published yet, which means that it has not entered legal force yet.
The opposition Barev Yerevan faction in the Council of Elders of
Yerevan has called for an extraordinary meeting of the body to discuss
the situation. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which is not
represented in Yerevan's municipal assembly, has backed the call.
Meanwhile, Mayor Margaryan has not commented on the situation, while
President Serzh Sargsyan and Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan are
on vacation in Austria.
With conspiracy theories being very popular in Armenia, authorities
have used, on a number of occasions, references to 'world conspiracies'
in settling problems with their own society. But this time there
might be quite real grounds behind what Zohrabyan says. A social
revolt and destabilization in the country would play into the hands
of those who do not want Armenia to initial an Association Agreement
with the European Union in autumn.
At first glance, Russia would be the first party interested in that.
On the level of pundits and political analysts the Kremlin has
tried to derail Armenia from its European course. On the other
hand, there is an opinion that the Armenian government itself would
be interested in delaying the initialing of the document to avoid
immediate complications. Some circles have hinted that as the process
has provoked a strong reaction from Russia and its consequences may
be unpredictable, it is better not to hurry in the negotiations with
the EU.
It would hardly be serious to contend, however, that the Armenian
authorities would themselves provoke a social uprising in order
to postpone the initialing of the Association Agreement with the
EU. Most likely, after the recent increase in natural gas prices,
which was accepted in society relatively easily, the authorities have
decided that they can carry out yet another act of 'racketeering'
and get away with it. But this time it apparently didn't work.
No doubt, some forces can use the social rebellion and anti-government
sentiments to, indeed, provoke unrest, but there seems to be a broader
understanding now that in that case blame would lie not with the
rebellious youth whom the senior Republican is accusing of playing
into outside forces' hands, but with the authority who have been
accused by critics of pursuing a policy of 'racketeering' the public.