NOT A KING BUT A PRESIDENT
Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 17:07:00 – 18/01/2012
Do you think there is a political crisis in Armenia?
Despite the classic definition of politics as a means of creation of
goods, different layers of the society associate it with strength and
power. People did a revolution, its rulers came to power, but this led
to the traditional preference of power to professionalism. Although
in the post-Soviet period it was something natural.
But looking from aside, it is impossible to fail to notice progress
in Armenia. Yes, there is a political crisis in Armenia but it is
necessary to understand what politics is. If it is perceived as it
was in the Soviet times, that is, the state is obliged to ensure
jobs and quality of life, then yes, there is a crisis in Armenia. But
the crisis is mostly in the consciousness of people, in the outdated
texts and revolutionary pathos.
Is there the understanding that each and everyone needs to deal
with politics?
These are daily activities but the development of technologies made
politics accessible for everyone. A Georgian colleague of mine was
surprised at the names of the Armenian parties. Can there be non-free
democrats or what is Prosperous Armenia? Is it a corporation? How about
Heritage, is it aimed at the past? The Armenian National Congress
actually limits itself by ethnic frameworks, at the same time it is
against nationalism. Here is hidden the crisis of political culture.
Political actions grow into national rituals. The political force
which speaks of modernization refers to the national factor in its name
because only this way can it bring people together. And there is only
one party which sets the task of self-formulation. It is the Republican
Party of Armenia. No matter how we treat it, it is the only party
today which is self-organized and tries to form a political culture.
But the activities of the party don’t correspond to its name.
It starts from the text, self-definition. The Republican Party most
of all corresponds to the ideas of the most of the Armenian people on
politics. We have patriarchal society, absolute hierarchy with social
pretensions. The society approved the criminal-oligarchic thinking
which the RPA adopted as its ideology.
Assessing the texts, it is necessary to note that the president stated
in his New Year address that he is weak and he needs support. In a
patriarchal society, this step is directed at modernization. Here,
the president is something mythical, someone calls him a king, others
call him a jester. King or jester tries to break the ice and take a
small step in the context of modernization.
The Armenian National Congress finds it hard to give a political
definition of itself. Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who authored a lot of
political texts did not answer questions at the press conference,
only pointed out that the president’s name is Serzhik while he makes
everyone call him “boss”. Actually, on the one side we have the dragon,
on the other side, we have someone who wants to kill it. This has
nothing to do with politics.
The opposition is marginal in its assessments. It ascribes to itself
more than the political entity is.
Do you think the RPA is modernizing?
Serzh Sargsyan yes but the Republican Party. For a couple of years,
the mass media assess Serzh Sargsyan’s activities in the context of
good or bad and not politics. These are not political analyses but
texts. They say that there is a sacred wall between the tops and
bottoms and it can be destroyed only through a revolution. And the
revolution is associated with the overthrow of those who are at the
top and rising of those who are at the bottom.
Perhaps, the members of the Republican Party will go to hell after
the death, but this has no relation to politics. President delivered a
political speech, and against the background of other texts, his step
was visible. Though it was assessed as a signal of self-destruction
and recognition of weakness. But he just said that he is not a king
but a president.
The Republican Party is just trying to work on self-preservation,
reproduction but it requires some upgrading.
You draw a line between the party and its president?
The president is alone but he is trying to do something. He needs
modernization and reproduction most of all. The party is identified
with Serzh Sargsyan because people always look only at the top of
the pyramid, just like in case of the ANC. The president cannot
but understand that people who form new pretentions appeared in the
country, and they don’t make a part of the patriarchal pyramid.
Serzh Sargsyan is weak in terms of the political culture but in Armenia
he is the strongest, even in the framework of the modern politics. His
weakness as the leader of the patriarchal system consists in the fact
that he bears the responsibility for the team. On the other hand,
more people appear around him who form their pretensions. Besides,
there are already the social networks, which are the biggest enemy of
the patriarchy. Apparently, this is realized otherwise professionals
would not appear on the television and the level of criticism would
not increase.
After the parliamentary election in Russia which was followed by
protests, the president and prime minister of this country began
speaking of modernization. Let it be just symbolism but there is
political text behind it.
In the field of opposition and texts are mythologized and based on
moral judgments. Perhaps, after the death of many of opponents they
will be ranked among the saints, but this again has nothing to do
with politics.
How will the upcoming election in May be?
There is no issue on legitimacy in the patriarchal society because
the society does not accept its participation in the formation of the
power. The strongest leader of the tribe is elected. On the other hand,
we have freedom of speech in Armenia.
But when the politics starts dictating also the culture, it becomes
totalitarianism. Georgia is a proof of this. The same is expecting
our opposition.
We are fortunate that in terms of our ideology, our government is
illiterate and does not dictate culture, but we are unlucky that the
society is also illiterate, and the top dictates culture.
On the one hand, I am pleased to see the trend of modernization in
the texts of the president. On the other hand, I would not like it
to happen from top down.
But in Armenia there is hope for modernization from below – discourses
are formed, people express themselves. A positive election is not so
much in its results as in the formation of texts and political culture.
From: Baghdasarian