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168 Zham (in Armenian), Armenia
Feb 6 2014
Waiting for the agenda
Editorial
As expected, the parliamentary majority has blocked the move by the
non-ruling factions to set up an ad hoc committee to look into the
details of the gas deal with Russia. It was done, as usual, without
many plausible explanations. It is difficult to predict what the
practical use of that committee could be, though. Of course, in that
committee, the opposition factions would have demonstrated in a more
convincing and well-reasoned manner the "illegal" and "criminal"
essence of the gas deal as well as the accumulation of a debt of 300 m
[US dollars], drawing up a report, which would be rejected by the
parliamentary majority just like the very idea of setting up the ad
hoc committee was rejected. Even without setting up any committee, the
officials and the party in power produce so many documents and facts
that would be enough for dismissing several governments and serve as
volumes of evidence of criminal investigation materials.
Therefore, trying to set up a committee in such conditions is a
pointless action and the opposition understands this as well.
Nevertheless, before the voting on the issue just yesterday [5
February], they threatened that if the committee was not set up, "to
come up with a broader political agenda", which means taking people
onto the streets. This move can also be explained in terms of a
political deal, offering to set up the committee in exchange for
keeping out people from protests. However, the authorities did not
accept either the threat or the deal. And now it is the turn of the
opposition to act. By yesterday, no one has seen them in Liberty
Square [central square in capital Yerevan, where most opposition
rallies are held]. In their interviews, they said that the government
should resign if the move of setting up the ad hoc committee is
rejected. The opposition, it is to be said, was saying earlier that
they would initiate a no-confidence vote of the government in early
February, which, however, did not take place. Even if the government
resigns, does this mean that the gas deal will be annulled and the
300-m debt will be revised? Not at all. In this sense, the
government's resignation would not change anything, as these two
issues are outcomes of Armenia's decision to join the [Russian-led]
Customs Union and criticizing the Customs Union is the same for
opposition parties as criticizing [President] Serzh Sargsyan is for
the [parliament's second largest] Prosperous Armenia party, i.e.
unacceptable. The authorities are well aware of that and this is the
reason why neither the deal with the opposition seems rewarding nor
the threats are impressive. The authorities know every opposition
figure, who will not be in the square to fight against the Customs
Union and who will "come up with a narrower agenda", when the only
solution to all these problems will be overthrowing the incumbent
government. The key to the solution of the current problems in Armenia
lies not in the parliament's lobbies, but in the streets with a wide
agenda set up by a majority of people. The street option, i.e.
overthrowing of the government, however, is not a demand for the
opposition, but a bargaining chip with the government, which the
latter refuses to admit. Probably it does not admit it because deals
in the "personal" mode are far more efficient than negotiations on
"wider political agenda".
[translate from Armenian]
From: A. Papazian
Feb 6 2014
Waiting for the agenda
Editorial
As expected, the parliamentary majority has blocked the move by the
non-ruling factions to set up an ad hoc committee to look into the
details of the gas deal with Russia. It was done, as usual, without
many plausible explanations. It is difficult to predict what the
practical use of that committee could be, though. Of course, in that
committee, the opposition factions would have demonstrated in a more
convincing and well-reasoned manner the "illegal" and "criminal"
essence of the gas deal as well as the accumulation of a debt of 300 m
[US dollars], drawing up a report, which would be rejected by the
parliamentary majority just like the very idea of setting up the ad
hoc committee was rejected. Even without setting up any committee, the
officials and the party in power produce so many documents and facts
that would be enough for dismissing several governments and serve as
volumes of evidence of criminal investigation materials.
Therefore, trying to set up a committee in such conditions is a
pointless action and the opposition understands this as well.
Nevertheless, before the voting on the issue just yesterday [5
February], they threatened that if the committee was not set up, "to
come up with a broader political agenda", which means taking people
onto the streets. This move can also be explained in terms of a
political deal, offering to set up the committee in exchange for
keeping out people from protests. However, the authorities did not
accept either the threat or the deal. And now it is the turn of the
opposition to act. By yesterday, no one has seen them in Liberty
Square [central square in capital Yerevan, where most opposition
rallies are held]. In their interviews, they said that the government
should resign if the move of setting up the ad hoc committee is
rejected. The opposition, it is to be said, was saying earlier that
they would initiate a no-confidence vote of the government in early
February, which, however, did not take place. Even if the government
resigns, does this mean that the gas deal will be annulled and the
300-m debt will be revised? Not at all. In this sense, the
government's resignation would not change anything, as these two
issues are outcomes of Armenia's decision to join the [Russian-led]
Customs Union and criticizing the Customs Union is the same for
opposition parties as criticizing [President] Serzh Sargsyan is for
the [parliament's second largest] Prosperous Armenia party, i.e.
unacceptable. The authorities are well aware of that and this is the
reason why neither the deal with the opposition seems rewarding nor
the threats are impressive. The authorities know every opposition
figure, who will not be in the square to fight against the Customs
Union and who will "come up with a narrower agenda", when the only
solution to all these problems will be overthrowing the incumbent
government. The key to the solution of the current problems in Armenia
lies not in the parliament's lobbies, but in the streets with a wide
agenda set up by a majority of people. The street option, i.e.
overthrowing of the government, however, is not a demand for the
opposition, but a bargaining chip with the government, which the
latter refuses to admit. Probably it does not admit it because deals
in the "personal" mode are far more efficient than negotiations on
"wider political agenda".
[translate from Armenian]
From: A. Papazian