ETHNOGRAPHER HRANUSH KHARATIAN: WE COMPLETELY LACK POLITICAL DISPUTE CULTURE IN ARMENIA
NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 8, 2009
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, JULY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. We completely lack political dispute
culture in Armenia. Ethnographer Hranush Kharatian gave assurance at
a discussion organized on July 7 by the Civilitas Foundation. In her
words, before each state or local self-government elections political
forces start discrediting one another. And the saddest thing is that
press also gives much place to bad language on its pages. According
to H. Kharatian, those guilty should be punished by the judicial
order for a culture of a civilized dispute and in general political
culture to be formed.
Helsinki Association Chairman Avetik Ishkhanian said that today
society considers opposition those who abuse the authorities louder
than they and treat the notion of "constructive opposition" with
distrust. Touching upon the proposal of solving the issue by court,
A. Ishkhanian stated that taking into consideration the current
condition of the judicial system one can conclude that in any case
oppositionists will be found guilty.
ARFD member Artsvik Minasian, in his turn, mentioned that both
politicians and press overstep the limits of correctness. In his words,
the authorities created the Azatamtutyun newspaper purely for abuse,
so as not to lag behind the Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.