INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OR RETURN TO SOVIET TOTALITARIANISM
Lragir.am
11-07-2007 14:12:39
The expert of the Caucasus analytical center Manvel Sargsyan started
presenting his approach towards the NKR presidential election with the
situation in Armenia. He stated July 11 at the Friday Club that the
Armenian society was expected to be more interested in the presidential
election of Karabakh than it is. "The government, the society, are
divided into camps, strangely and directly, I mean they advertise one
party or another or are engaged in certain activities. The impression
is that the society and government in both Armenia and Karabakh were
not ready for this election.
The great importance that the NKR presidential election was expected to
have is not acknowledged, I think, although I have had opportunities
to state that in my opinion this problem has a greater importance,
and is an issue of the security of Armenia," Manvel Sargsyan says. He
says it is not felt from the media, there are no profound analyses.
As to the situation in Karabakh, Manvel Sargsyan compares it with
the totalitarian system of the Soviet Union, when the election was
formal and 99 percent of victory of the Communist Party was ensured,
and those who were against that mechanism were denounced as betrayers,
foes. Manvel Sargsyan says he got this impression during his recent
visit to Karabakh, he visited Stepanakert, Shushi, Lachin, Karvachar,
and got sufficient information about the atmosphere in Hadrut. "I did
not feel it is a natural process. I noticed that immense efforts are
made through the administrative resource," Manvel Sargsyan says. He
says the use of the administrative resource in Karabakh has a little
different format and content than in Armenia. "In Armenia they also
intimidate people, threaten to fire, give bribes, etc., we all know
well. But it is different there. It is a little like an obligation. For
instance, they may call on a person and say they learned he wants
to hang the picture of his candidate on the wall of his shop. They
may say he does a very bad thing, it is wrong to do such a thing,
it may affect his business and propose that he hang no picture. If
the person refuses, they say they will talk to him otherwise. Very
skilled work is done, and it works," the expert says.
Manvel Sargsyan says the threat to fire helps control people better
than several thousands of drams of bribe, therefore the government
promotes its "common candidate" Bako Sahakyan through psychological
and moral influence on people rather than bribe. However, Manvel
Sargsyan also says not the entire system of government is engaged
in this because the alternative presidential candidate is also from
the government, but upholds reforms and many representatives of this
government have joined him who named Masis Mayilyan together with
the activists of the civil society.
"A complicated, tense situation occurred, which is already reflected
everywhere. For whatever reason the government camp did not take
it seriously. Although they say all the time that there is nothing
serious, when you have a look at publications, statements, you notice
the nervous state. The alternative movement immediately affected the
activities of the government, and a rather interesting degradation
is underway there, in other words, the society and the government is
divided between these two options," Manvel Sargsyan says. He means
Bako Sahakyan and Masis Mayilyan.
He says Sahakyan is the conservative wing, and Mayilyan is the
reformist wing. "In other words, it is not a confrontation of
the government and the opposition, part of the opposition joined
the conservative wing, the other part joined the reformist wing,"
Manvel Sargsyan says. According to him, the wings have distinct
theses. Bako Sahakyan says fundamental reforms were carried out, now
the social problems must be solved. Masis Mayilyan says the country
needs fundamental reforms to neutralize shade mechanisms of governance
and to set up constitutional order.
"Social problems occur from the situation in the country. If there is
no rule of law in the country, you will never have economy and you will
never be able to improve the life of people. It is meaningless. Why
do legitimate countries have powerful economy, whereas in countries
where the clan or the criminal system rules 90 percent of people
are poor? You know, many people might think that political reforms
are impossible without solving social problems, but I think it is
clear political demagogy: let us first give bread to people then
the rest. You never think where this person gets bread to give to
people. Everyone knows he takes it away from people, stores in his
warehouse, give it out to others as much as he needs. Therefore,
we must understand that either we create statehood with all its
components or we do not, that’s all. And the society in Karabakh
understands it much better.
I did not see a single person who said whatever is done is good. Not
a single person. They say we understand what is underway better than
you, but what can we do," Manvel Sargsyan says. According to him,
they can say millions of things to a person and he may accept or not,
but it is different when they threaten that tomorrow he will be fired.
He says either the society will agree or will disagree. Manvel Sargsyan
says he will not be surprised if the "common candidate" gets 85-90
percent of votes like some apologists forecast. The expert says he
will not be surprised if the plot of the government fails. "But it
is impossible that a free election will be held. It is early to state
that the electoral mechanism will work and a real election will take
place," Manvel Sargsyan says.