The main mission of the leadership in the coming weeks is to explain, not to promise. These are not ordinary elections, with their importance and also anomalies.
You can promise the nicest things, but it won’t work anymore. All professional polls give almost the same answers, and almost all of them have serious gaps.
The collective public mind is in the realm of subconscious risk perception, guilt, and action.
Consequences of wrong steps
Let’s talk with examples. Against the background of the deliberately created toxic pro-Russian-pro-Western divide, worries about leaving the EAEU or economic confrontation with Russia are intensifying.
The task of the leadership is to patiently and competently explain in which case there will be economic sanctions, their cause and effect relationship, what manifestations they will have, what consequences they will have on the state’s economy and every family. How to avoid it. The simple answer to these simple questions is an open dialogue with one’s own people. This is the honest one.
You have to explain to your own people, to the farmer who grows fruits and vegetables, to the exporter of agricultural products, to the seller, to our hard-living peasants, that their source of income may be closed in one day due to the mistakes of those placed in Yerevan’s cabinets. People generally do not understand, do not imagine, do not believe this.
Our peasants have no idea that if we are unprepared for the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, then Turkish agricultural products will flow like lava into the country at half the price, and the consequences for our agriculture can be very severe.
Preparing all sectors of the country for the opening of the borders is a serious issue of economic security, and ensuring this is the responsibility of those sitting in Yerevan’s cabinets, which they either turn a blind eye to, or solve another problem. We should talk openly about these issues.
To close the door to war
The next example. the main thesis of the authorities is: Peace (us) and war (everyone else).
In front of this ugly false thesis, the wording “Guaranteed Peace” suddenly appeared. This became the unifying phrase of the opposition, which everyone says, regardless of their competitive moods.
Now we need to patiently and intensively explain the essence of “guaranteed peace”. Our old and new leadership have not talked to their own people for a long time and do not have a good idea of people’s real concerns and thinking.
People think, discuss with each other, listen to all the smart-stupid thoughts that appear in the media, people are concerned about the fate of the country and their families.
People are universally in need of speech. Do not try to deceive or promise worldly goods.
The right thing is to honestly and patiently explain to people that in the near future, Aliyev will make new demands: change of the constitution, “return” of Azerbaijanis, “reconciliation” of the occupation of Sevan, etc. Today’s relatively calm situation will not last long. Aliyev will intensify and set his demands. “Guaranteed peace” is to prevent this, to properly manage today’s “no war” situation, so that there is no escalation, no new demands are made, and the door to war is closed.
Thus, one should speak calmly, respectfully and honestly with one’s own people. The conversation will not be easy. there will be phases of nervousness, despair, and hurt, but this is the only right way.
Vahe Hovhannisyan
Alternative projects group
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