ON LEVON TER-PETROSYAN’S SPEECH

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12:54:54 – 22/09/2009

All players of the political field seem to have expressed their ideas
on the current situation in the Armenian and Turkish relations and on
the Armenian foreign policy. The last to speak was Levon Ter-Petrosyan
for whose speech the public was waiting in impatience as always. The
waiting was strong from the point that the members of the Congress
before the rally have repeatedly said that Levon Ter-Petrosyan would
answer all the main questions in connection with the Congress future
work and its ideology.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech indeed contained answers of several
questions but the most important question remained unanswered: what
the Congress is going to do to awake, to refresh the public interest
towards politics and political processes and to re-enhance the
importance of the public factor in these processes for it to be able
to influence the governmental decisions or at least to try. From this
point of view, the fact is that Levon Ter-Petrosyan did not promote
the public activation much. In addition, the concept "activation" must
not be perceived as preparation for abrupt actions. The point is only
about forming adequate moods of public towards the current dangers. And
the mode of expression of this mood is a completely other issue.

"You see, we were telling you", Levon Ter-Petrosyan seemed to be saying
to the public, continuing that the same will be in connection with the
Karabakh issue. Well, Congress was saying it, and so what? The task of
the main oppositional force is not to say something and after to stress
that it had said that thing. The main task of the main oppositional
force is to prevent everything it alarms. Here the work of Congress
gives ways to doubt on its effectiveness. Levon Ter-Petrosyan states
the Congress alone is not able to solve the question on change of
government. But the Congress perhaps has another more important issue
to solve: to form public moods and to express it. Of course, it is
difficult for the Congress because it works in such conditions when
19 political prisoners are in jails, when the TV is banned for the
Congress. But, before the 2008 presidential election, the situation
was not better for the opposition while the result was much more
impressive. Maybe the opposition was speaking more concretely to the
public and instead of geopolitical analysis, it "called things with
their names".

Now the opposition says that it is unable to change the government
alone, it says it does not need concrete change of government on
account of Karabakh and it says it decided to wait to see what the
others are going to do. Maybe it is better, maybe they will do it
better. Who knows? At least, the fact that if before everyone waited
to see what the Congress was going to do, now the opposition assumed
this role is noticed. But the opposition is logical to lead the public
with its word and not to be led by the public’s word.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress