The Only Way Is Civil Disobedience
Siranuysh Papyan
17:37 29/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:
Interview with Saro Saroyan, historian, expert in ACNIS
Are recent withdrawals from the presidential race the result of a
process of removal of Serzh Sargsyan’s opponents?
The concept of organization of the electoral process by the regime
presupposes that the candidate of the criminal oligarchy must not have
real rivals. From this point of view, the `bolshevist’ wing of the
regime was able to render harmless the `menshevists’ and the `tsar’.
Now the `menshevists’ worry about tension. We mainly hear the
followers of the empire of the ANC sing `God Save the King’. The ARF
is trying to come to terms with the regime to get a place under this
sun in the upcoming years. And since it is not clear from which side
the wind will blow, the sacral principle `keep a low profile until
danger passes’ is followed.
Saro, could any of those who withdrew be a real opponent to the
candidate of the government? Will boycott be chosen as an alternative
to the election?
In the result of the recent political processes in which the
opposition displayed its weakness and its bid on the assistance of
foreign forces, and after the famous closure of public toilets its
infantile behavior hampered its activities in the square or the
street, the ANC is not competitive with the criminal and oligarchic
regime. At the same time, in the result of political intrigues and a
good strategy the ANC was able to prevent any other opposition force
from getting the support of the public or forming a new pole. Hence,
as the election was drawing nearer, the second president Robert
Kocharyan remained the only source of fears of the regime who
continued to have strong shadow levers. Ahead of the parliamentary
election the PAP postured itself as an alternative, forcing the
majority force to follow the track of moderate confrontation because
the main guarantee of the activities of Kocharyan and Tsarukyan
remained the Kremlin which did not hurry to `approve’ any of those
aspiring to the post of president. Taking into account this
circumstance, the ANC leaders went in for an alliance with Tsarukyan
because the ANC’s plan to get the Kremlin’s support to the Alliance
with Serzh Sargsyan against Robert Kocharyan 2008-2009 failed, and the
new plan was to get the Kremlin’s support to Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan
positioned as alternative, as long as the Kremlin’s opinion was not
clear. Today the ANC can either boycott the upcoming election to
return at least a crumb of public confidence or to look for support in
the oligarchic regime which is split and shows signs of collapse to
create the illusion of dismantlement of the regime. As to ARF, all it
can do is to wait for the next chance to benefit from a new expected
situation stemming from Kocharyan’s factor.
What is right, boycott or waiting for a new situation?
Let us differentiate party boycott from public boycott, as well as the
expectations of parties from public expectations. The second can be a
behavior of self-determined citizens which may lead to an active civic
movement. As to public expectations of a new situation, they will not
bring anything positive to the society though they have a huge
potential because an active and conscious behavior of citizens is
required for the society to benefit from the change of situation. In
other cases, it will serve realignment of the regime and promotion of
the group interests of the posturing parties.
Andrias Ghukasyan suggests the RA President Action Plan. He puts forth
the dissolution of political parties because Armenia will not have a
progress until these parties are liquidated. Do you think this idea
will ensure consolidation?
Any idea can ensure consolidation when words are translated to action.
Our 20-year old opposition perceives action to be rally, demonstration
and marches. These tools are blessed mechanisms for the criminal
regime. However, this year the civic environmental movements used
different tools of civic disobedience. Andrias Ghukasyan was one of
the champions of actions for the deliverance of Mashtots Park.
Armen Hovhannisyan thinks division of money and power should be
expected in the upcoming years. Do you think it is possible?
The Armenian political system is power of money. Demand, will and
determination is required to deprive money (oligarchs) from power. All
the one-person parties have used elections to make part of the
government of money or get their share of the government of money.
Some parties have reached their goal. Now there is a shortage of money
in the government, and the oligarchs will violate agreements hiding
behind the curtain called political process. The only democratic way
of dismantling the criminal oligarchic system, separating power and
money, distributing wealth evenly and delivering foreign debt from the
treasury of the regime is civil disobedience.