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WHY TIGRAN SARGSYAN'S CABINET WON'T CHANGE
JAMES HAKOBYAN
16:22 19/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29343
Serzh Sargsyan stated that the cabinet will not change. He said that
this government has achieved its objectives, and though the overall
situation is not satisfactory, one cannot dismiss a government which
has achieved its objectives. What's the guarantee the new government
will work better, wondered Serzh Sargsyan.
What is the guarantee the old government can address new objectives?
Problems are different and have their particularities. Besides, one can
still question whether the government has achieved its goals or not.
Taxi drivers went on protest on these days since they now have to
replace yellow plates with white ones, as well as the age limit for
their cars has been removed. Both yellow plates and ten-year limit
were introduced by the present government. Most taxi drivers had to
buy new cars due to the car age limit. Now, they are told that they
had to spend so much money, often borrowed from banks, in vain. The
same goes for the plates.
The government has reviewed its decision which is an indicator of lack
of competence of the government. The activities of the government
are full of such episodes, which causes uncertainty. People do not
know when the government will change its mind.
The fact that Tigran Sargsyan's cabinet will not change means that
Serzh Sargsyan cannot change the internal balance in government. In
addition, Serzh Sargsyan made a reverence to the oligarchy. At first
sight, this is a paradox. The prime minister known for his statements
about fighting oligarchy remains in his office while the president
makes reverences to the oligarchy. This paradox fully describes the
government of Armenia.
Serzh Sargsyan should be strong enough to make a decision of changing
the prime minister but he is not. This means that replacing the prime
minister supposed hard discussions not only at the geopolitical
centers but also with the oligarchy to reach a consensus over the
office of the prime minister.
In this case, Serzh Sargsyan would either have to make other
compromises or to surrender the premier's office to the most
influential group or to keep the office by way of compromise with
that group. By keeping Tigran Sargsyan, Serzh Sargsyan frees himself
from the necessity to make compromises and concessions. But at the
same time he offers public guarantees to the oligarchs that Tigran
Sargsyan will continue speaking but will not touch them.
In other words, the issue is not that the government and the premier
will be the same. The problem is that the situation is the same,
which means that the taxi drivers had better not throw away the yellow
plates. Moreover, they should get also red, blue and apricot plates.
Who knows, what will occur to the government's mind on May 28 or
during the harvest season of apricots.
JAMES HAKOBYAN
16:22 19/03/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29343
Serzh Sargsyan stated that the cabinet will not change. He said that
this government has achieved its objectives, and though the overall
situation is not satisfactory, one cannot dismiss a government which
has achieved its objectives. What's the guarantee the new government
will work better, wondered Serzh Sargsyan.
What is the guarantee the old government can address new objectives?
Problems are different and have their particularities. Besides, one can
still question whether the government has achieved its goals or not.
Taxi drivers went on protest on these days since they now have to
replace yellow plates with white ones, as well as the age limit for
their cars has been removed. Both yellow plates and ten-year limit
were introduced by the present government. Most taxi drivers had to
buy new cars due to the car age limit. Now, they are told that they
had to spend so much money, often borrowed from banks, in vain. The
same goes for the plates.
The government has reviewed its decision which is an indicator of lack
of competence of the government. The activities of the government
are full of such episodes, which causes uncertainty. People do not
know when the government will change its mind.
The fact that Tigran Sargsyan's cabinet will not change means that
Serzh Sargsyan cannot change the internal balance in government. In
addition, Serzh Sargsyan made a reverence to the oligarchy. At first
sight, this is a paradox. The prime minister known for his statements
about fighting oligarchy remains in his office while the president
makes reverences to the oligarchy. This paradox fully describes the
government of Armenia.
Serzh Sargsyan should be strong enough to make a decision of changing
the prime minister but he is not. This means that replacing the prime
minister supposed hard discussions not only at the geopolitical
centers but also with the oligarchy to reach a consensus over the
office of the prime minister.
In this case, Serzh Sargsyan would either have to make other
compromises or to surrender the premier's office to the most
influential group or to keep the office by way of compromise with
that group. By keeping Tigran Sargsyan, Serzh Sargsyan frees himself
from the necessity to make compromises and concessions. But at the
same time he offers public guarantees to the oligarchs that Tigran
Sargsyan will continue speaking but will not touch them.
In other words, the issue is not that the government and the premier
will be the same. The problem is that the situation is the same,
which means that the taxi drivers had better not throw away the yellow
plates. Moreover, they should get also red, blue and apricot plates.
Who knows, what will occur to the government's mind on May 28 or
during the harvest season of apricots.