SYSTEM OF PRIVILEGED CRIMINALS WILL BE DESTROYED
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 14:11:51 – 04/10/2012
Interview with Anush Sedrakyan, deputy leader of Free Democrats
Anush, what do you think, was Armenia able to adjust to new
civilization standards or was it left out of the process?
Unfortunately, we thought for years that civilization standards
(and it has nothing to do with the Soviet, post-Soviet and even
the pre-Soviet period, this is our historical characteristics) are
determined by the merits of the past and not the achievements of the
present. This is the non-healing wound of the Armenian people. As
a proof of our civilization standard we refer to our temples and
churches, our alphabet, the kingdom of Kilikia, Echmiadzin, all the
other components, not realizing that every nation has created its
values within its capacity. In the current period all these cultural
values remain part of history and travel business, and this is the
virtual face of our people.
To what extent do we match the system? It should be noted that the
computer is the international language, not English or Spanish,
and everyone more or less shares the results of computer globalization.
Meanwhile, we have set aside all the information achievements of
the society and study history of religion. I do not understand what
the history of the church has to do with Hi-Tech education? The
history of the church should be taught in Sunday schools. While in
this hi-tech era even a child with an iPad on the knees can operate
a starter level accounting program, we still speak about literacy,
we still say that every child should have a computer.
Does it mean we did not even come close to civilization?
No, we didn’t but we think we have a peculiarity – the Armenian
national instinct which always prompts us the shortcut to survival,
to sustenance of life. And since now the shortcut is a community
which has developed technology and a minimum standard of justice,
no nation in this universe will survive unless they ensure the
minimum standard. They will not survive because, on the one hand,
they will be squeezed by standardization of education, and it’s hard
to believe that a rich man who does not know the alphabet will be
more competitive than a person with scarce funds who possesses all
the information. The second would simply take away all the money of
this rich man with the help of information. A German philosopher said
money is something good because it helps a man be himself. What has
happened in Armenia? Money helped man to express his real essence,
and our millionaires expressed their real essence, demonstrating their
contempt for literacy, their neglect for law, scandals involving their
bodyguards, rude and ugly wording about tax avoidance. And they did
not understand that they are walking against the stream of time. It
is not a matter of being right or wrong. It is against time. And
the state which has built the government of the privileged sect for
ten years is against the requirements of time, while time dictates
its own rules. As one looks at what is happening in Armenia now,
one can see the time. If you have internet connection which reveals
all the aspects of your biography, a man who moves against time
cannot stand such transparency. The era demands maximum knowledge,
these people are moving on with minimum knowledge, the era demands
maximum rationalism, these people are following minimum rationalism,
this road must end somewhere due to very regular developments.
Does it mark the end of the system?
This is not the end of the system, this is the end of the introduced
standard which we used to have, i.e. man is able to do everything
if he has been selected by the government. Finally, the myth of
government-granted privilege must collapse. In reality, these people
have never been privileged, and this is proved by future actions.
Is the prosecution of Oskanian, Khachikyan and the others a sign of
change of this system? Has Serzh Sargsyan understood that he cannot
go forward with minimum knowledge?
I think Serzh Sargsyan has understood the simple truth that a society
where punishable acts are not defined becomes uncontrollable.
In other words, the society needs to define what a punishable act is,
what a breach is, what should be expected in case of a breach. And
if someone deviates from the rule of the game, he will get out of
Serzh Sargsyan’s control, which is not desirable for a head of state.
So why is punishment so fragmental? Why aren’t Ruben Hairapetyan,
Samvel Alexanyan and others punished?
I forecast a few months ago that Samvel Alexanyan will be the next
on the list. If you remember his name featured in the context of
kickbacks. The process of punishment has set out, discriminatory or
not. Let us assume that all these people have committed crimes, the
turn of these people will come until the new culture is established in
Armenia. This is like a matchbox, all the matches in the box will be
burnt, selection is arbitrary but they will be burnt by all means,
which must be the principle underlying the new system. Why am I
for transparency of these processes? Because punishing people with
impunity is the guarantee of a new society. This is a platform for new
generations when they understand that their goal should be an honest
professional, not a privileged criminal. One should set a goal before
the generation. So far the goal has been a privileged criminal,
Will there be no privileges?
Let there be privileges but not privileged criminals. I don’t mind if
our chess team is privileged, not before the law but materially. I
wish there were scientists in Armenia who would get apartments and
cars from the government. So far the country was based on privileged
criminals, it should be eliminated.
I think it is a bold step when you shatter the system independent from
your motivations. Let us have a look at the pragmatic imperatives. The
system is decayed, the system has led to mass emigration, inequitable
distribution of resources and their concentration in the hands of
people who cannot handle those resources, and this system should
be dismantled. Still I think it is very difficult to act without
public confidence because the society is a silent observer now, does
not help, support and admire, but there is something that causes
improvement which one can notice in everyday contacts. People see
these processes, with some skepticism and reservation and lack of
confidence, of course. In any case, they realize subconsciously that
something can be done about it because in a stable system with stable
corruption and decay people either leave or are very limited. This is
a painful dilemma. There are elements of retaliation which remain in
people for years, for decades, people see how their assets are stolen,
their dignity is hurt, people see deception in the political field when
opposition teams sell out themselves to the government one after the
other, or were sold out from the very beginning, and people should
have a fair feeling of revenge and I am very proud that revenge of
the Armenian people is decent, disguised, not aggressive. They only
watch, assess and do nothing.
Is your attitude to the next election different from that in 2008?
At that time the opposition relied on the anti-governmental rhetoric.
The opposition claimed to dissolve the criminal and oligarchic
system, it was its slogan, now the criminal and oligarchic system
is demolished without an opposition shouting there. Now that the
criminal and oligarchic system decays from inside, the opposition
has fewer levers. Now the opposition needs to fit into the opposition
without the rhetoric of destruction. The opposition which will remain
opposition after discarding the rhetoric of destruction will be able
to offer practical steps. I hope we will be able to be an alternative.
In the civil bloc?
It cannot be one bloc, it must be a joint bloc, a political entity or
a civil entity cannot act solely. All the civil and political sectors,
as well as individuals, who do not want to be part of a field, conduct
their own activity, are more valuable and preferable because they work
alone, without any help. There was a time when people needed to meet,
discuss, speak, now you reach the internet and you are not alone, the
process of discussion, cooperation or split begins. These processes
are fortunately out of control and are controlled internally. This
is the basis of the new system.