FORMING A SOCIETY LONGING FOR PARTY FAVORS
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
12 May 06
The accession of members to the Republican Party on May 1 was
considered a rather significant and prospective step in the political
sphere of Armenia. It was a touching scene watch how Andranik Margaryan
and Tigran Torosyan could hardly manage to distribute membership cards
and congratulate 120 school teachers. This event would receive greater
response if there were not for the crash of the Armenian plane. The
crash took all the attention of the society, and on those days it
was not only impertinent but also improper to discuss any other topic.
However, now that the society has partly recovered from the shock of
the plane crash, it would not be impertinent to recall events which
did not get due attention, whereas they may be rather significant in
terms of home political developments, and subsequently the fate of the
country. On May 1 while the Republicans were admitting new members,
a rather important accession was underway at Karen Demirchyan Center
of Sport and Culture. Businessman Hrant Vardanyan, who consistently
and tenaciously explains to public that our production is better
and sweeter, celebrates May Day at Demirchyan Center every year. He
celebrates it with Grand Holding he leads.
However, May Day 2006 was curiously different from previous May
Day celebrations. On that day Hrant Vardanyan had invited President
Robert Kocharyan, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan and Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan. It is difficult to explain why Hrant Vardanyan had
chosen especially Serge Sargsyan and Vardan Oskanyan to accompany
Robert Kocharyan. Robert Kocharyan is Hrant Vardanyan’s friend, as
the businessman likes to announce during meetings in a narrow circle
of his employees, and the invitation can be understood.
But the fact of inviting Serge Sargsyan, for instance, is surprising.
The point is that during the parliamentary campaign in 2003 Hrant
Vardanyan allied with Dashnaktsutiun, and in a rally of Dashnaktsutiun
in the hall of Grand Sun Factory he announced that Serge Sargsyan
is the source of all the troubles of Armenia, and it is impossible
to eradicate corruption in the country unless Serge Sargsyan is in
office. This statement, made in a narrow circle, appeared in press, and
Serge Sargsyan and his aides could have read the newspapers. Naturally,
he disagreed with Hrant Vardanyan, and disagreement between Hrant
Vardanyan and Serge Sargsyan occurred due to contrasting visions of
the role of Serge Sargsyan in the country’s future.
Most probably, Hrant Vardanyan has changed his mind over these years,
and has discovered another cause of corruption, and if on May Day
he invited Serge Sargsyan and Vardan Oskanyan, it means he does not
consider them corrupt. He even had a long interview with the Golos
Armenia several days ahead and criticized the economic policy in the
country. It is interesting to know who Hrant Vardanyan blames for
this policy. After all, the persons he invited have a key role in the
economic policy of Armenia. Robert Kocharyan guarantees environment
for investments, Serge Sargsyan sells off infrastructures and plants
that we do not need any more, and Vardan Oskanyan considers the key
objective of foreign policy to attract investments. Was it accidental
that Hrant Vardanyan did not invite the prime minister? Of course,
it is not worthwhile to ascribe such a key role to Hrant Vardanyan
in home political developments in Armenia. And this is not what I am
trying to do. Simply, it is obvious that a home political episode
involving Hrant Vardanyan took place, which may help to outline
preferences inside the government.
In this sense, it is possible that Hrant Vardanyan did not invited
Serge Sargsyan and Vardan Oskanyan; Robert Kocharyan may have taken
them along. The host would hardly have turned away the guests who had
come with his friend. In this sense it is rather interesting to know
on what principle Robert Kocharyan had chosen his company.
“My house is you house,” showed the Soviet television. Well, if
blood is one, and the house is one, why shouldn’t the holiday be
one? Especially the good and old Soviet holiday which is revived on
a top governmental level. It is also possible that we deal with a
state policy, which is successfully applied in Russia as well. It is
a policy of nourishing people’s nostalgias, sustaining their vague
tie with something which will never be there, for them not to claim
what must be there. They will be happy with party favors on May Day,
moreover, not for all the workers but the best ones whom the owner
will choose. Tractors, cars, home appliances, and other gifts will
be given. And those who will get them will not think what the cost of
these gifts is. They will not realize that it would be better not to
get any gifts at all but receive a normal salary. For the owner not
to give out party favors publicly and with the president watching,
instead of the salaries that they did not get.
The government encourages the formation of a society longing for
party gifts. And this makes them dependent on the giver who may be
a proprietor, a mayor, a minister, or the head of state. After all,
the gift is not perceived as a reward, it is perceived as a favor
that the boss does. And by inviting the head of state on May Day this
phenomenon is, actually, enhanced to the level of a state policy.