WHAT RESPONSE SHOULD THE STATE MAKE

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 26 2007
Armenia

The clash between the activists of Armenian Pan National Movement
and the law enforcement officers on October 23, in Abovyan-Koryun
crossroad, is of course not a significant event, but all the bases
exist to presume that it is only the first sign. It is obvious that
Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Armenian Pan National Movement don’t have even
the smallest chances to win the forthcoming Presidential elections,
in February. 3-4% is the maximum record that they can dream of. What
to do? How to attract the attention of the public and the foreign
world? Only by the destabilization of the situation. Consequently
the clashes similar to the one that occurred on October 23 will
not only repeat but can most probably take a massive and furious
turn. Therefore, it is better not to concentrate on this specific
event and try to observe the problem from a more profound point of
view. In the whole civilized world the fact of the existence of the
state testifies to the closing stage of revolutions.

Lets take for instance our neighbor Georgia. The "revolution of roses"
was staged there, because, in fact they lacked a state that must
fulfill its obligation towards the citizens. The principle question
of the political situation that has been created in our reality
four months before the presidential elections is simple and clear –
Is Armenia a state or not? If it is a state, then it mustn’t allow
others to violate the Constitution. The state itself is facing the
challenge of not observing law and order, but proving the fact of its
existence. This means the state, is obliged, rather than entitled to
use all the measures in hand to avert all the actions aimed at the
forcible change of the constitutional order. By paying the taxes
and fulfilling other obligations envisaged by the constitution
the country’s citizens obligate the state to protect their main
rights. And the most important one is to respect the majority’s will,
during the process of the formation of government that is to say the
elections. If opposition refuses to respect this right, thus they
challenge not only the government and the state but also the majority,
that is to say the people. Both in the whole civilized world, and
in our country the state must control and avert all the steps that
are aimed at, not only revolution or political disobedience but even
illegal actions during the rallies, demonstrations, and protests. This
is the direct obligation of the Council of Europe member states
towards their citizens. Lets’ remember how strictly the police in
the European countries follow the process of street rallies and
demonstrations. If we strive to become part of the civilized world,
first of all we must not only acknowledge the right of the state to
avert any type of infringement against the constitutional order, but
also demand to fulfill their obligations towards the citizens. Such
as: a) Unconditionally avert any attempts of anti-constitutional
action. b) Prevention of any initiative of using force. c) Prevention
of the attempts to make the people a tool for the realization of their
personal goals, pushing them to take anti-constitutional measures. In
our reality one can say anything on behalf of the people, but when
on behalf of the people some are trying to violate their greatest
achievement, their right to have a state, then the one who exercises
rather than controls this right, must prove the fact of the existence
of this state. It is far not a matter of preserving the position
or the power. If today the government is not able to avert even the
desire to stage a coup d’etat through anti-constitutional measures,
tomorrow we will deal with the unique "chain reaction" leading to the
eradication of the statehood. That is to say after one year Paul will
decide to stage a revolution, after some period of time Peter will
decide to do the same and so on and so forth. What is this, if not a
path that leads to the eradication of the statehood? To forget about
this nihilism introduced to society, which comes from the ancient times
and still continues, the state must prove the fact of its existence,
by fulfilling the obligation of keeping the constitutional order.