TIME TO BURY THE HATCHET
Editorial
"HAYOTS ASHKHARH"
Published on February 29, 2008
What L. Ter-Petrosyan and his political team didn’t manage to do by
creating an atmosphere of mutual intolerance in the country is becoming
a reality after the very first proposal the newly elected President
addressed to the Opposition from the Republican Square on February 26.
L. Ter-Petrosyan, currently appealing to all the pro-Opposition
factions and individual activists for consolidation, will soon
be surprised to announce that the persistent efforts he has been
making for the past 4-5 months has produced a more insignificant
result than S. Sargsyan’s one single proposal on forming a coalition
government. It’s not accidental that just a few hours later, the
first positive responses from the former presidential candidates and
the extra-parliamentary factions were already received.
Their number and qualitative structure will continue increasing in the
near future, contrasting with the powerless appeals and the repeated
speeches made by those who have gathered at the Theatrical Square.
As shown by the recent events, the "audience" gathered at the
Theatrical Square is getting bored, so new and new activists are needed
to entertain them. Therefore, L. Ter-Petrosyan sent the successive
"invitations" to Arshak Sadoyan, an activist once considered a
"popular tribune", as well as to other pro-Opposition figures having
some charisma, but as we see, his invitations were turned down.
Instead, even the MPs belonging to "Heritage" party are taking an
interest in the practical mechanisms of forming a coalition government,
a proposal advanced by Serge Sargsyan during his first Parliamentary
speech following the elections.
This comes to prove that there are simultaneously two "gravity fields"
formed in our reality in the post-electoral period, and the political
factions are facing a choice again. Whereas the elections, during
which there is an urgent need for strengthening the opposite poles
of the political confrontation, are already over. And the candidate
elected as President announces in the most frank manner that it is
time to study and implement all the constructive positive proposals
advanced during the campaign. So, where will the positive processes
enabling the Opposition to participate in the state and political
life are going to take place if not within the coalition government?
Furthermore, while in the pre-election period all the pro-Opposition
factions of Armenia preferred to act from radical positions in
order to receive maximum number of votes on the election day, in the
post-election period it’s just vice versa: they are required to be
maximum close to the levers of the authorities in order to realize
their promises. And in such conditions, the proposal on forming a
coalition government marks the beginning of the process of eliminating
the split political arena.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that such format will contribute to
smoothing the poles of the current political confrontation. They will
be maintained for a long time. However, it should be born in mind that
apart from such poles, there is also a wide palette of parties and
individuals whose attitude significantly predetermines the further
course of the political developments. During the elections, the
candidates representing "Rule of Law", ARFD, NDU (National Democratic
Union), the People’s Party and National Unity received more votes put
together than ex-President L. Ter-Petrosyan. In case these factions or
even some of them are, in the near future, represented in the coalition
government, it will be possible to form a powerful center enjoying
trust among the overwhelming majority of the country’s citizens.
Of course, it is still early to speak about the specific steps to be
implemented in the frameworks of this particular format representing
the authorities and the Opposition. Their content can be clarified only
in the course of relevant talks. Considering the clear-cut objectives
advanced by the President-elect, it may include the major part of the
questions raised by the pro-Opposition parties during the elections.
A passing glance at the objectives advanced by Serge Sargsyan during
his most recent speech at the Republican Square will be enough to
understand that their major part coincides with the demands of the
Opposition. Thus, the realization of the tasks of restricting poverty,
forming a competitive economy, eradicating tax evasion and impunity,
are equally important both for the newly elected President and
the other political factions, including the Opposition. Therefore,
there are neither programmatic nor psychological serious obstacles
for avoiding cooperation, being "offended", isolating oneself and
especially, joining the demonstrations which are thinning out
It is just time to realize the supreme task of the country’s steady
development and give certain shapes to the willingness of mutual
cooperation manifested on such bases i.e. it is time to "bury the
hatchet".