OPEN FOR DEBATE: LIBERTY SQUARE FORUMS A NEW APPROACH TO POLITICS
VOTE 2012 | 26.03.13 | 15:37
Photo: Heritage Party Press Office
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
For eight consecutive days Yerevan’s Liberty Square has been hosting
open public forums initiated by opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian,
official runner up in the recent presidential elections on his 16th
day of hunger strike there, disputing the “fraudulent” ballot with
what he calls “the Armenian people’s victory”.
Discussions on political, social, cultural issues are conducted
by well-known political and public figures, lecturers, who answer
questions from citizens and reporters, gathered at the square to take
part in the forums.
The speakers point out that public forum discussions are a new
phenomenon in the Armenian political culture and help in voicing
public opinion.
Hovannisian believes that public forum discussions are the basis of
new democracy and urges caring citizens to join the ongoing events.
The Heritage party leader says each session of the forum shows that a
new quality has been created, as it is highly important to introduce
to people possible alternatives and ways that would lead to victory
for minority parties.
Former candidate for presidency Andreas Ghukasyan, who has been one
of the forum speakers, says the newly-shaped format is important
first of all because it enables direct communication with citizens.
“It gives you a chance to sense public sentiments and moods directly,
because people ask you questions they are concerned about. On the
other hand- this format enables our citizens to get to know their
politicians, understand the platform substance, learn their personal
qualities,” Ghukasyan told ArmeniaNow. “In any case, it is beyond
comparison to the formal sessions adopted by pro-establishment parties,
where everything proceeds by a pre-set scenario. This forum is the
direct opposite, the alternative of those.”
Another speaker, oppositional MP Nikol Pashinyan stated that public
forums held in Liberty Square with Hovannisian’s approval have to
have a practical objective – formation of new administration, which
would become a most important tool for a velvet revolution.
Meanwhile, political analyst Yervand Bozoyan does not see anything
positive or slightly effective about the Liberty Square forums,
and says it has zero impact on society.
“A square in its essence is a unique place, and people rallied there
need slogans, posters and mottos; that’s the world practice. Commonly,
it is not a place suitable for analysis, those are made in seminars.
If you start making analysis at squares, you can’t keep the crowd,
people would just leave. When analysis are transferred to squares,
it becomes an absurdity, because when Raffi Hovannisian says he
wants to find out through voting who is “for” or “against” turning
to the Constitutional Court (CC), I wonder how they are planning to
count people, and after all, how many among those are familiar with
CC specifics and subtleties, for us to consider it a civil forum,”
Bozoyan told ArmeniaNow.
Heritage party member, activist David Sanasaryan said in his speech
at one of the forum sessions that there are no “idle viewers” among
the participants; everybody has to take part with a participant status.
“The way I see it, lecturers should not just come and stand, but
register their names saying they want to deliver a lecture. We have
to form our own ‘shadow government’ which is a political term – we
have to replenish it with our presence, enrich it, not be afraid,
say I am this specialist and can assume this or that duty,” he said.
Bozoyan counters that the public forum is a rally by its looks, but
not by essence. Such discussions should be held by experts, but in
closed rooms rather than in the presence of a crowd, because this way,
he says, the expert community degrades and is subject to erosion.
During the 7th public forum on Monday, Heritage’s Styopa Safaryan
said that many people do not see what is happening at Liberty Square
as a political process.
“But look, they, nonetheless, are forced to somehow respond, give
interviews, which is a result too. This is the kind of politics that
Armenia needs like air and water, this is when to people’s voice of
protest they respond by interviews, hence we have to understand this
one wonderful truth – what we are doing now at Liberty Square is the
greatest of politics,” he said.
Manvel Sargsyan, heading the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies, told ArmeniaNow that these forum discussions
are a novelty; they are declared apolitical, hence political party
flags are dropped.
“People have direct participation in these events. Open forums enable
this or that politician or public figure, if they have an opinion to
share, to introduce them. A new political culture is being shaped. One
should take as a departing point the fact that for 16-17 years there
have been no results, meaning that the issues set have not been
resolved, however there are always objective results. This culture
is developing, new approaches are needed, society is developing.
Doubtlessly, there is no struggle without consequences.”