POLITICAL FORCES IN A TRAP
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily Newspaper
23 Aug 2007
Armenia

The Tools Replace the Goal

"Genre Crisis" – this is how SHAVARSH KOCHARYAN, Head of the National
Democratic Party (NDP) estimated the current situation on the native
political arena prior to the elections, while making a speech in
"Urbat" club yesterday.

The essence of the "Genre Crisis" is that the political forces
have "found themselves in a trap: the tools have come to replace
the goal. It is a well-known truth that power is just a tool for
carrying out their ideas and programs, and the goal consists of just
the ideas and the programs. In our reality, power has, unfortunately,
become an end in itself.

That’s to say, the tool has become a goal.` In the meantime,
the same concerns the Government and the Opposition as well, "the
pro-government front is doing its utmost to remain in power at all
costs, and the Opposition is doing its utmost to accede to power at
all costs. As a result, the programs and ideas have been mainly pushed
to the background, at least, they are not available to the public,
and the personalities and ambitions have appeared on the frontline."

It is not accidental that according to the NDU leader "only the
personalities are discussed" in the context of the possible and
impossible format searches, "as to what this or that person intends
to carry out, it is not discussed in general." Moreover, "if we
try to estimate the political arena in its integrity, I would say
that the political arena is oppositional; it opposes the people,"
Sh. Kocharyan is convinced.

And this gives rise to the people’s indifference to and disappointment
with both the political forces and the political processes in
general. That’s why some individuals from time to try to accuse the
people. "The people have never been irresponsive to the positive
steps proposed in politics."

DON’T COUNT THE CANDIDATES BEFORE THEY ARE NOMINATED

Another flagrant manifestation of the "Genre Crisis" is the
abundance of the minor parties growing like mushrooms after
rain. Their overwhelming majority lack relevant human resources,
provincial structures and financial capacities for becoming a factor
or creating a climate on the political arena to a certain degree,
"Only the pro-Government structures have such capacities and this
will cintinue as long as they are in power." This is where we need
qualitative changes like the air we breathe, and the sooner it is done,
the better, because if the things go this way the country may very
soon find itself in a situation where everything is predetermined."

In connection with the pre-election events, Sh. Kocharyan emphasized 3
main factors, "The post and the authorities of the President continue
to be overestimated; whereas under the amended Constitution the
President does not have the vast opportunities he had before. This
is the first thing to say.

The second thing is that the issue of forming a Government in Armenia
was solved through Parliamentary elections. That is, if the elected
President is a representative of a political faction other than the
Parliamentary majority, either he has to put up with the situation
and work with the majority or the Opposition will be in possession
of all the levers to isolate the President," i.e. to impose its will
on the latter.

And after all, "Likewise chickens which should be counted after they
are hatched, Presidential candidates should be counted after they are
nominated. Therefore, let’s wait till autumn," the guest-speaker of
"Urbat" club said. Mr. Kocharyan refrained from the thankless task
of making any estimation with regard to the Presidential candidates.

The speaker refuted the rumors about the merging of the National
Democratic Union, the National Democratic Party and the National
Democrats’ Union as well as Vazgen Manoukyan’s becoming a political
support, "I am not aware of it. I have heard from the press that such
negotiations are under way. It would be very interesting if you gave
me more information about it."

As to the argument that the advocates of L. T. P.’s return are
trying to substantiate this irreversible public demand, the NDP
leader considers it extraordinary, "They say, if he comes to power,
the pro-Government camp will split; part of it will support him,
and there staging a coup will be possible. This means that part has
eventually turned away from people."

What is Sh. Kocharyan’s attitude towards one of the
ex-Parliamentarian’s sensational statement made once upon a time that
in case L.T. P. and Vazgen Manoukyan appear on the platform together,
at least half a million people are sure to gather there. In response
to our question, Sh, Kocharyan grinned and then added, "I don’t think
that by following the ‘1+1’ formula it is possible to make such a
fuss. But it will be a very interesting qualitative change containing
many questionable issues. For instance, if they are together now,
why did they separate from each other then?"