TIGRAN SARGSYAN’S DOOMSDAY IN HEAVEN AND ON THE EARTH

Lragir.am
01 Aug 06

It is worthwhile to congratulate the president of the Central Bank of
Armenia. The experts of the IMF have forecast a 30-35 percent decline
in the exchange rate of the dollar on the international market. For
the Central Bank of Armenia, this is another opportunity to wash their
hands. First one can speak about the everlasting relation between
Armenia and the international financial market and then go on to
explain that the exchange rate of the dollar cannot help declining
in Armenia if it does in the entire world. On the other hand, the
Central Bank is so independent that it does not need the forces of
the international market to explain the behavior of the dollar in
Armenia. Tigran Sargsyan can do without these to explain perfectly why
the revaluation of the dram against both the dollar and the euro goes
on. Moreover, Tigran Sargsyan is so independent that he even declines
to explain anything. And the citizens do not demand an explanation,
realizing that he is too independent. What can an independent person
explain? And Tigran Sargsyan appears to have found the formula of
happiness. The problem is, however, that not everything starts and
ends with happiness. There will always be something to demand from
a public official and if the demanders are not the citizens, it is
surely the end.

The citizens are right when they do not demand explaining one nuance
or another of the behavior of the dollar, the dram or another means
of payment. The citizens are well aware that an independent person
does not have anything to do with them, even if his position suggests
it. A citizen understands that someone else should be asked for an
explanation. And this someone else is sure to demand an explanation
from the Central Bank soon. Of course, again it will not be related to
the financial market. They will demand that Tigran Sargsyan explain how
he is independent in a country where hardly any independence is left.

It will be very difficult for the president of the Central Bank. It
is even difficult to explain how it happened that everything is O.K.
with him, and he is still independent. It will be difficult because
a situation has occurred in the republic when they demand explanation
but they have no time to listen to the explanation. As the president
of the council of the Patriarchal Diocese of Ararat, the president of
the Central Bank should have a clear idea of this state. It is written
that thou shalt not swear, let what you say be yes or no. But the whole
tragedy of the situation is that "yes" told to one will be equal to
"no" told to another. In other words, the yes will be not exactly yes,
and the no will be not exactly no. Certainly, Tigran Sargsyan could
have said that he is not independent, the dollar is independent. But it
would already be swearing in a situation when he will be urged to break
all his previous oaths. In other words, Tigran Sargsyan may be judged
by both the heavenly and the earthly authorities. Being president
of the diocese council may increase the possibility of God’s mercy,
but at the same time, it will diminish the chance to be a president
of the Central Bank. After all, the Ararat Diocese is not necessarily
closer to God than the same Central Bank. Consequently, all Tigran
Sargsyan can do is not to miss the chance with the government. Under
these circumstances, the situation becomes complicated, and time
elapses faster than the "fluctuating" exchange rate of the dollar.

Where is the government with which Tigran Sargsyan should look for the
chance, the Republican Party led by Serge Sargsyan or Robert Kocharyan,
who has kept Tigran Sargsyan president of the Central Bank so far, but
who will have to bid farewell formally to power in 2008? Formally,
but Tigran Sargsyan knows for sure what formal and informal means in
Armenia. Even if he did not know, he learned during the meeting of the
National Assembly, when one of the oppositionist members of parliament
shouted abuse at Tigran Sargsyan without feeling shy. The point is
that it takes 5 minutes from this parliamentarian to become one of
the "trinity" on the party ticket of Bargavach Hayastan Party. Hence,
it happened so that Robert Kocharyan’s team in the parliament swore
at him, whereas the Republicans defended him. Or maybe they did not
defend him if Tigran Sargsyan decided to go and come to an arrangement
with the parliamentarian, at least to persuade him that even if one
does not love his neighbor, it is not worthwhile to be so rude.

Therefore, one should at least know who their neighbor is. And this
is what they are doing in the government now. Moreover, what they
demand now is not an "informal" but rather a definite and clear
neighborhood. Especially for an organization, which controls a
country’s finance, this "neighborhood" is not only desirable but
also necessary. Moreover, considering that the World Bank controls
the influx of finance alone, "neighborhood" with the Central Bank
means control over the financial influx. Consequently, it appears
that the importance of Tigran Sargsyan in the struggle within the
government grows. It means, however, that something will diminish in
return. The degree of importance is such that it won’t grow unless
something diminishes. Well, what would be more suitable to get to go
down? Maybe the exchange rate of the dollar? Especially that there are
a number of people inside the government who love the dollar. Hence,
love is sex, two sexes are a child.

JAMES HAKOBYAN