LET’S ADMIT BUT NOT THE REALITY
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
01 May 06
It is clearly set down in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia
that power in this country belongs to people. It means when an Armenian
public official “barters” with Russia, or negotiates for “barter”,
he should keep in his mind that he is merely a person who has been
authorized by people. Certainly, no one even suggests that our public
officials ever remember that they are accountable. Not only they forget
about this before signing important deals, but also they decline to
give any explanations later. Hence, the news released by World Bank
Armenia Country Director Roger Robinson on April 28 that next week
the government of Armenia will hold public debates to elucidate the
deal on the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan is astonishing.
Finally. Finally they decided to report to the society on what they
did, how and why. We already know via who. He announced that they
would tell more details about the deal and we would become convinced
that they did everything properly. He announced, and now they have
decided to tell. Thanks, but to Roger Robinson that he told us about
the intention of the government. Robinson will tell our government that
we are grateful, because the society and the government in Armenia
contact via the officers of international organizations, namely
Robinson. And there is sufficient reason to say so. For instance,
it is difficult to understand why the society should learn about the
public debates that the government will hold from Robinson, who has
many other things to do in Armenia, and not the same government, which
has press and other services. We do not want to enquire in return for
what Robinson carries out the duties of an agent or what he demands
from the government in return for this service. It is not our concern,
our concern is our government, which is, in fact, reluctant to contact
with the citizens, although he lives on the direct taxes that they pay.
And the reason of these words is not just the information about the
public hearings, although it is already sufficient reason. Besides,
Roger Robinson also announced that judging by the information
provided by the government, the deal on the fifth generating unit of
the Thermal Power Plant of Hrazdan was profitable for Armenia. The
World Bank Armenia Country Director announced that when the citizens
of Armenia learn what he had been told, they will become convinced
that it was a good deal.
Let us not assess the deal now, for there will be enough opportunities
to do this over the year or may be even the decade. At the moment,
in fact, it does not matter much if the deal was good or bad. It is
important and utterly important, that, in fact, the officer of an
international organization, let it be an authoritative one, learns
about the deal on the fifth generating unit before the society.
Does it mean that for the authorities of Armenia the international
officer is more important than the citizens who form these authorities,
at least formally. This formality might be the reason why the
government did not consider giving explanations to the society, whereas
they gave a detailed account to the World Bank Country Director. In
other words, the government, in fact, is accountable to international
organizations rather than the citizens.
There is no need to be astonished. After all, long ago did money
become the indicator of power and the determiner of thinking for the
ruling elite, whereas the society does not have money, at least it
does not have as much as the World Bank or any other organization.
The society does not have power either, therefore the conclusions
of international organizations are based on the explanations of
the government rather than public opinion. In other words, if the
government says it is favorable, it means it is favorable, and it
does not matter what the society thinks. The society is simply
advised to admit the reality. Admitting the reality means doing
nothing. Explanations become obsolete when the reality is admitted.
Many sophisticated inventions have been made because man refused to
admit the reality. After all, democracy is also based on defying the
reality, and the same World Bank gives millions of dollars to the same
government of Armenia for democratic reforms. Why do they defy the
reality then and give the millions? Maybe these millions do facilitate
admitting the reality. And finally, what is reality? Most probably
it is time to give explanations, without any agents going between.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress