AUTHORITIES READY FOR ALL THE OPTIONS
LILIT POGHOSYAN
Hayots Ashkhar
Published on March 01, 2008
Yesterday, for the last time in the status of a President Robert
Kocharyan met with the active students of Yerevan State University,
where he introduced his standpoints regarding many issues of concern.
For the beginning the leader of the Republic recorded that after
following the process of the presidential elections, more than 600
international observers from CIS and European structures evaluated
it as "mainly positive". "All the candidates, all the political teams
had the chance to express their standpoints. During the pre-election
campaign the Mass Media have observed the letter of the law, there
were no restrictions for any of them, to hold massive events and
there has been no clash with the police."
The state, in the person of law enforcement agencies has swiftly
responded to all the complaints and breaches and has taken
corresponding measures to eradicate them and to punish those who have
breached the law. This means the failings in the election process
didn’t have an "organized" nature.
Hence, "the elections are over, the Prime Minister won and expressed
readiness to cooperate with all the political powers. An active
process is already on. Today many candidates have responded to this
appeal and during the coming 2-3 days, in my opinion, the format of
the future cooperation will be formed. This is the picture."
Of course: " there were complaints from the candidates who didn’t
agree with the election returns and there are two parallel procedures:
a juridical procedure of appealing against the election returns and the
"public" one. This stance was quite predictable for us. I have been
elected twice and the candidate running behind me has never admitted
his defeat. The same was in 1996. It has become a tradition in our
reality, when the defeated candidate never accepts the election
returns and never congratulates the winner candidate. Of course it
is a bad tradition, but we have what we have."
UP TO LEVON TER-PETROSYAN TO CHOOSE
In case of the ex-President, the scenario of the post-election
tension was more than predictable, considering the fact that
the latter had two weeks back announced about his victory: " And
after similar announcement, it is impossible to accept the election
returns. Naturally he was going to appeal against them, by juridical
procedure and by "massive events", as he had already announced. In
such circumstances the generals of the rallies have 4 options to come
out of this situation.
First: "Continue the massive events trying to involve more and more
people. But the more they continue, the more they try to involve more
people, and keep them in the Theatrical Square, the more disappointed
these people will be in future. We have already experienced this. It is
a serious psychological factor. People have stress, after which they
don’t forgive those who have caused this stress. It is a deadlock and
this deadlock will very soon discredit those who want to use that tool.
Second option is the one used in 1996. That is, to attack the state
bodies.
In this case the organizers will immediately appear outlaw, with
all the consequences deriving from it. The law enforcement agencies
possess enough power, enough opportunities to observe constitutional
order. No doubt! But after this, those standing on the platform will
spend many years in prison and they will have lots of time to think
of what they did. Of course this is the most undesirable option for
everyone and for the Republic of Armenia."
The Third scenario is as follows: the generals of the rallies "express
their thankfulness to those gathered in the Theatrical Square, for
their support. They send them home, and get ready for the coming
elections by maintaining their pro-oppositional stance. This option
is also quite sensible, which demands a levelheaded assessment,
if we consider that political struggle is not a 100-meter’s race,
it is a long-term and hard work.
And finally the fourth option, the softest one is: " They send people
home, express thankfulness for their support, congratulate the newly
elected President, asking him to be kind with those who breached the
law these days and go home to write the regular scientific work. This
is probably the most logical option. And I would like to repeat that
there is no other option besides the before mentioned four. We are
ready for all the four options.
But for me the 3rd and the 4th are the most sensible ones.
But what can the state appose to the neo-Bolshevik revolutionary
movement.
According to the President the maneuvering opportunities of the
authorities are quite limited. Here they have only two options.
First: "to wait with patience, until the end of the performance in
the Theatrical Square" this tactics that has already been experienced
once, won’t bring good to Armenian revolutionaries, because what was
possible in 1989-1990 in the chaotic circumstances of the collapse of
the soviet empire is impossible in independent Armenia. Let alone the
attempt to "attack the buildings", which is already doomed to failure.
The second is the option of using force: " to clean the Theatrical
Square by the help of the police and give people the possibility to
live in peace. In my view this option will greatly help the people
who are in delusion and psychological stress, because they are kept
in the square by means of different tricks. Of course it would be
more desirable not to use this option.
The option of using force will be necessary only in extreme cases:
"If the activity of the Police meets with confrontation, if they
refuse to meet their demands. None of us has any desire to take
violent actions. Our people are gathered in the Square and must try
to convince them, to give chance to the political process develop in
a logical way. We must try to give peaceful solution to the situation."
However in case we take similar decision the police won’t beak up
the mob immediately. At first they will be asked. Then they will
be warned and only in case of resistance they will use force. "In
case of resistance law will immediately work. It is a crime to show
resistance to the law enforcement agencies and those who resist will
be submitted to criminal liability. Using force will be the consequence
of refusing to meet the demands of the police."
As regards the behavior of the leaders standing on the platform,
according to the President it is an educational subject for the
students of the department of psychology.
On the other hand the organizers "successfully entertain their
supporters. In my view it is rather interesting. But the most
interesting thing is that they feed them. Because Armenian Pan National
Movement didn’t have the habit of feeding people, on the contrary
they used to take away their food." So every cloud has a silver lining.
The President underscored that after the legal rally of February 20 the
organizers didn’t even try to legalize their chronic revolutionary
actions. Why? Because legalization means responsibility towards
what happens during the rally. "But in this way, the crowd gathers,
no responsibility. And the people are the only ones to suffer from
the consequences. The people who are in delusion, had they appealed
they would have definitely got permission. But they avoid working in
the legal domain."