OSKANIAN FAILED MOST IMPORTANT THING
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 14:06:03 – 02/10/2012
The leader of the Republican parliamentary group Galust Sahakyan
announced during the discussion of the prosecutor general’s motion
for Oskanian’s case that there is no need to depict heroic episodes
when one is in trouble. He meant the biographical part of Member of
Parliament Oskanian’s speech where he told how his family had left
the United States, moved to Armenia, lived and worked here. Oskanian
thus tried to prove that he is not the kind of person who would steal
money. “I am absolutely content,” he said, noting that he might have
made a mistake but not committed a crime.
This part of Vartan Oskanian’s speech is worth mentioning, as well
as Galust Sahakyan’s comment, followed by Member of Parliament Vahan
Hovhanisyan of ARF who noted in this regard, “Sometimes Mr. Sahakyan
also says right things.”
In similar cases two typical behaviors are usually observed –
justification of one’s actions either for the sake of children or for
the sake of the homeland. Yesterday in parliament Vartan Oskanian
did not refrain from these behaviors. He claimed that he does not
steal money but brings money to Armenia. He has left good life in the
United States to come to Armenia. He said since leaving the office of
foreign minister he has brought a lot of money to Armenia for charity,
has opened jobs. “Is this how you treat a person who was the foreign
minister for ten years?” he wondered
It is obvious that the case against the ex-foreign minister does not
stand legal criticism. It is possible that the law enforcement bodies
have explosive evidence which they have not revealed so far.
For example, Robert Kocharyan announced about March 1 that soon such
evidence will be brought during the judicial examination that people
will feel ashamed of standing beside the arrested people. However,
the courts did not get any evidence, and hundreds of people were
sentenced on a single police testimony.
As to Oskanian’s case, what has been presented so far is evidence to
a crime committed against Oskanian, rather than to a crime committed
by Oskanian.
Besides, being more or less acquainted with the foreign minister,
his kind, the society does not believe he could have done what he is
suspected of.
Nevertheless, despite the serious problems with the level of legal
awareness and brutal nature of the law enforcement bodies of Armenia,
one wonders about the link between this case and Oskanian’s past or
present status or his biographical self-sacrifice for the homeland.
When did he come to Armenia, what has he done, for who? Who cares
for how many years Oskanian was a foreign minister? There is only one
criterion of legal treatment of a person – the law. Be it a minister,
an ex-minister, a taxi driver, if an innocent person is charged with
an offence, it is condemnable, even if this person is not a hero and
a devotee and has betrayed the homeland for several times before.
Vartan Oskanian believes that he is suspected of something which he
has not done. He believes that PAP and himself are being persecuted.
All the more so, isn’t it ingenious to persuade the prosecutor general
and the majority of this ruling system that he is innocent and not
a criminal kind?
After all, the prosecutor general and the majority know better than
Oskanian that he is innocent. The only thing the prosecutor general’s
office and the general public would learn from the discussion was that
besides being innocent Vartan Oskanian is also principled and bold,
and is ready to appear in prison for the sake of change in Armenia.
Without this readiness no political actor has a chance to succeed
against the ruling system. The system fears only those persons who are
not afraid of appearing in prison. Hence, instead of trying to prove
his innocence with an apologizing tone to the majority consisting
mainly of career hunters, self seekers and opportunists he should
have appeared more dignified and principled.
And this means a fundamental solution, separation of oneself from
the majority. Even though Vartan Oskanian is not a minister, a
government official, makes oppositional speeches, he has not made
a political assessment of the political system the continuation of
which is the present government. Vartan Oskanian tends to overlook
the past mistakes meanwhile the society knows that the system which
is concocting a case against Oskanian is the continuation of the one
of which Oskanian used to be part. And the mistakes which that system
made were grave and deep blunders which were as serious as the mistake
committed against Oskanian.
He used to silence those blunders, as an oppositionist, he still does.
Meanwhile, he could have used this opportunity for a clear, complete,
targeted, specific political assessment which would draw a line between
the system and himself. He failed to do this, maybe he could not,
or he did not dare, failed his first serious political mistake.
In addition, Oskanian should have made a clear political assessment
of this specific case and the present and the past of the regime in
general, then legally unveiled the invented accusation and demanded
that the majority vote for the motion without discussing it first.
Then he should have declared that he does not care for any decision
the National Assembly would make and should have left the hall thus
joining great politics.
Vartan Oskanian remained part of the system, while he is not forgiven
for acting against the whole while being part of it. The whole has
the adverse effect – it sacrifices parts to remain a whole.
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