ABSENCE OF ALTERNATIVE BECOMES TRADITION IN KARABAKH
Naira Hayrumyan
Lragir.am
20-09-2007 09:41:01
Obviously, the wrong time was chosen for the local elections in
Karabakh. Certainly, the day of the election was appointed because
the term of local government end. Nevertheless, the local election
will be held in a few months after the presidential election, and
the parties and voters are worn out. As well as disappointed.
Nevertheless, the election of mayor arouses interest. Yesterday was
the last day of nomination, and there was only one nomination until
evening. It was Vazgen Mikaelyan, about whom little is known except
that he is a relative of the president.
Why nobody wanted to be mayor of the capital? Perhaps the reason was
the experience of the acting mayor and the past presidential election.
The three years of office of Edward Aghabekyan are a classic example
of collaboration of an oppositionist mayor with an unfriendly
government. Apparently, they wanted to make it clear to Aghabekyan
elected in a truly democratic ballot not to rush ahead of people who
know better. And in fact they made it clear. Not only to Aghabekyan.
Nobody wants to be in the mayor’s shoes whose powers are not defined
clearly and who depends on the government.
The second reason why nobody wants to be mayor of Stepanakert is the
past presidential election. The idea of the "common candidate", the
sudden endorsement of one of the candidates by all the forces created
a new tradition – alternative becomes meaningless. During the past
election I heard two people talk: "Who will you vote for?" "Mayilyan."
"Why, he won’t win anyway?" "Am I to vote for the candidate who
will win?"
This absurd thinking is unfortunately becoming characteristic of
Karabakh. We will feel the consequences later when it becomes clear
that nobody offers an alternative to the "common opinion", nobody
offers a proposal, a remark, an observation. Can the government work
without this? The car without brakes either will not move or will not
stop. And when all the passengers of the ship gather on one side of
the board, the ship lists.
This vagueness of the political sphere of Karabakh is a sign of
disappointment and distrust. And apparently it will be revealed in
the upcoming voting to mayor.
Besides, the parties which endorsed the "common candidate" decided not
to politicize and not to run in the election. There is no opposition
as such, the likely independent candidates decided not to run in the
election either. Here is a casus.