CRITICIZING TODAY’S AUTHORITIES, DASHNAKTSUTYUN WILL COOPERATE WITH RPA IN FUTURE, VAHAN HOVHANNESIAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Nov 30, 2007
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The balance between rights and
power is upset in Armenia, and the current authorities are not
determined to correct it. This is the reason why Dashnaktsutyun is
participating in the presidential elections with its own candidate, –
Vahan Hovhannesian, ARF bureau member, NA deputy who has been proposed
as presidential candidate by the ARF party, made this statement at
the ARF Supreme Assembly on November 30.
According to him, power is superior to law in the country. In order to
govern by law, the power should enjoy authority but this notion "is so
connected to the criminal world and behavior that it is now associated
with nicknames that are difficult to pronounce and meaningless faces,
whose owners have declared themselves as "authorities" and try to use
the state’s sponsorship to strengthen their positions". The reason,
according to V. Havhannesian, is that the society has become used to
the idea that authority can rest only on force and money rather than
morality, knowledge and talent.
In his words, false authority has no goal of ideological struggle
and struggles only for power, while in case of such struggle not a
political force but the bureaucratic machinery wins. If an autocracy
is established, the danger that the bureaucratic machinery will merge
with the party and will start controlling power is especially great.
V. Hovhannesian said that since early 1990, the country has been
governed by economic groupings having power, which have monopolized
the most profitable sectors of the economy, forming an environment
almost free of competition.
"Uniting with power, the monopolies have long ago stopped being only
an economic phenomenon and have a decisive influence on all aspects
of the society’s vital activity. Spending considerable resources and
using the huge administrative resources at its disposal, this stratum
of society reproduces itself regularly, hindering the development of
the political system," the speaker stated.
In his opinion, neither the previous authorities nor the current ones
can make changes in this system that has taken roots in the country.
Dashnaktsutyun is able and ready to make such changes, and for this
reason it is taking part in the presidential elections by nominating
its own candidate. In the words of V. Hovhannesian, political forces
periodically apply to the judge – the people that decides through
elections who is right.
"And this judge cannot be bribed."
During a talk with reporters, V. Hovhannesian said that Dashnaktsutyun
will try to unite all forces sharing its opinions around its
candidate. He expressed conviction that ARF will win the elections
and did rule out that one of the candidates who have already been
proposed will withdraw his candidature in favor of Dashnaktsutyun.
The pre-election struggle will be a heated one but Dashnaktsutyun,
as V. Hovhannesian put it, will not deliver blows below the waist,
criticizing not particular candidates but the system. In case
of losing the first round of elections and a run-off being held,
Dashnaktsutyun, according to V, Hovhannesian will support the political
force, with which it has a community of ideology and an experience
of cooperation. Irrespective of who will be elected president,
Dashnaktsutyun will cooperate with the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA), one of Armenia’s leading parties.