TO CHANGE THE MODEL OR TO BECOME THE HOLDER OF THE MODEL?
Harutyun Gevorgyan

Hayots Ashkharh daily
Sept 6 2007
Armenia

Leader of National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan opened some of
his playing cards prepared for the forthcoming presidential elections,
in "Pastark" club yesterday. We should remind you that this political
figure was the first to announce about his unreserved nomination for
presidency and refused to participate in the parliamentary elections.

V. Manukyan said Armenia’s political life is in a certain governance
model formed in 1994 after the end of Artsakh war. The peculiarity
of that model is that there is a group of chosen ones in the state
structure that can afford any type of business, unpunished murders,
for which later they compensate during the elections.

Leader of National Democratic Union says the people and the social
structures don’t have any role or influence in this system. "This model
develops, but the worst thing is, the model is not effective and the
development of the country falls behind from the world. And it is not
directed to the improvement of the country’s political system. For me
election is a way to change the model. For some people election is a
means to become the holder of the model or an opportunity to change
the chosen layer."

V. Manukyan states, more often internal political developments are
conditioned by the logic of making their own people as chosen ones.

"I can’t understand some judgments. For example I can’t understand,
when Artashes Geghamyan says the challenges oblige us to be similar to
the authorities. And what has changed from 2003, what new challenges
have been announced that oblige us to find common language with the
authorities instead of struggling against them."

Leader of National Democratic Party touched upon the issue of Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s returning to policy. "Levon Ter-Petrosyan doesn’t
utter a word. I’m sure he won’t nominate his candidacy. But his
supporters keep on stating that most of the electorate needs a new
"master". And only Levon Ter-Petrosyan can be this new "master".

This means he can win. This means we should unite and follow him.

This is a false mentality."

The most necessary thing, to change the model, according to V. Manukyan
is the corresponding social movement. "If election is an end in
itself, it will have the same conclusion as it usually has in our
reality. When there is no vigilant social movement, with a leader,
with a guiding team, we can’t expect any changes. And if this marazmus
continues it will simply be impossible.

Everyone speaks about a united candidate, but if from the beginning
it is not clear who the united candidate is and around whom we should
unite, then it is impossible to settle issues by sitting, chatting and
drinking coffee. Then, life itself will nominate the united candidate.

Leader of the National Assembly states a dozen of candidates will
be nominated for presidency but only three or four will be real
candidates.

"Two or three from those three or four candidates will withdraw their
candidacy immediately before the elections, saying that they don’t
have any chances to win the elections. After which one or two pivotal
candidates will appear. If you remember in 1996 they got together and
decided that Vazgen Manukyan should be the united candidate. With 7-8
parties we were trying to solve this problem. And when it came clear
that the overwhelming majority of the society supports me we united
on certain conditions and I became a united candidate."

V. Manukyan didn’t deny that there is no pre-condition – a social
demand – to change the model. But he said this factor is not very
important, because anyway people are dissatisfied, but the problem is,
the fundamental reason of this situation is not explained properly. "
We propose a model that will never become old, a state based on
national values and national culture but the form of governance is
European. I’m not very interested in my social rating.

Because it shows to what extent you have managed to attract the
people. But I don’t have any desire to attract the people. The most
important thing is to put forward a task and to inspire the people.

To make them follow you and settle the problems. If you manage to
do so, then your rating will sharply increase. If someone with high
rating proposes me to unite with him I will refuse saying that I
don’t need his rating if he doesn’t have any issue to settle."