WHY DASHNAKTSUTYUN WILL SUPPORT MASIS MAYILYAN
Lragir.am
5-5-07
I remember when the 110th anniversary of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun was
marked, one of the comic functionaries of this partyexpressed the following
idea: "Every Dashnak is 110 years old." Although this original idea is a
flabbergasting one, it reflects the outlook of most members of this party
and certainly has a latent practical meaning that the 110-year-old party is
insured against major mistakes, especially emergence of renegades.
Nevertheless, over the past few years, which were marked by major events and
dynamic, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun succeeded breaking into the "sphere" of the
most radical liberalism. Quite consciously, Dashnaktsutyun became a
commonplace liberal party of parliamentary type, which has lost not only the
revolutionary but also the socialist ideology, becoming an example of
political and ideological transformation of "international importance",
which may become subject of a serious political research, while the party
itself is like a perfect handbook of "lost illusions of political
nationalism". In this context, two essential questions occur: who did this
spy work and why did the party consciously accept the game despite the
influence from outside? In one of the mystical organizations, which emerged
in Central Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, a thesis of
absorption of hostile or alternative ideology was set up in the late 40s.
However, very few enjoy it, in addition, non-public political figures. The
Dashnaktsutyun organization, existing in the territory of historical
Armenia, does not possess the knowledge, experience, and intention to pursue
the doctrine. The primitive Armenian reality determined the devastating
profanation which does not let hope for political creative work. The only
thing they could do was to store up creativity and leave on the surface of
water the demoralized pseudo-epicures overwhelmed by panic.
Whoever created this meaningless algorithm, and hard though the
leaders of Dashnaktsutyun may try to present primitivism instead of a
doctrine, the party is in profound crisis and in many aspects it is no
longer Dashnaktsutyun. Strangely, the rebirth, if not of the party, at least
of the idea of Dashnaktsutyun, which is actually a variation of the
conservative-revolutionary paradigm, takes place in certain sets in North
America. This idea has become rather attractive for those who do not belong
to the Armenian nation. But this is for future, not so distant but future.
For the time being, in the sinful land of Karabakh.
It seemed to the most sensible observers even that the idea of
Karabakh and Karabakh itself as a dynamic reality have been exhausted. Fops
buried in luxury and irresponsibility are now in charge of the people of
Karabakh, who imagine that there is no alternative to them, and are ready to
sell our homeland to anyone and at any price to rid of a bugbear. The "new
Karabakhis" of Stepanakert and the wastes of the Karabakh ethnicity in
Yerevan decided to give away the lowlands of Karabakh to the enemy and leave
to the nation only part of the land that belongs to it. And in this bog a
person has emerged and people who believe him, who cannot be indifferent
towards the fate of their nation. It is notable that this person has emerged
from the heart of the administration, who could surely have had other
prospects. It makes believe that Karabakh is not exhausted in any capacity
and it is worthwhile to struggle. This move of the society of Karabakh
revealed a number of interesting realities, a number of groups of people
with vital, not always conscious, social and political interests. An
unprecedented and genuine interest towards the events underway in
Stepanakert has emerged. President Kocharyan certainly displayed his own
standpoint with regard to these events, realizing that the new political
stage requires new people and new approaches. But could Robert Kocharyan
designate his own standpoint which would spark an extremely negative
reaction and complicate his political situation and image. As the
parliamentary election is drawing nearer, which is fraught with different
consequences, categorical designation of the standpoint of the president
would give rise to new and possibly even more critical plots of
confrontation in Yerevan. Now nobody needs this. In the new, still unclear
state of Robert Kocharyan it would be highly prejudicial to carry on with
the policy of "voiceless" Karabakh.
Actually, all the political forces in Yerevan realize the necessity of
change, however, different parties and figures have different perceptions of
the perspective. And though the perception comes with time, Dashnaktsutyun
has to make a decision. In addition, while the other parties may wait, for
Dashnaktsutyun delay may turn out to be fatal. The leaders of the party in
Yerevan are always waiting, and despite the real moods of Dashnaktsutyun in
Karabakh, they continue to rely on the opinion of a small group of members
of the party in Stepanakert who suffer from complexes. The leaders of the
party have already managed to display for a number of times their ability to
deal blows to their party members in Karabakh, setting two thirds of the
members of their party against them, and their "policy" may eventually lead
the Karabakh Dashnaks into prostration. The fact that Dashnaktsutyun in
Stepanakert clings to the idea of the so-called "single candidate", which is
an effort to impose the continuation of miserable, meaningless existence on
Karabakh, which has lasted for many years. Of course, this decision of
Dashnaktsutyun in Karabakh could be perceived as a tactical device and we
want to believe that it is in reality. However, if the Karabakh organization
of Dashnaktsutyun pursues this path, its leaders will not just be denounced
but the doom of history will be awaiting them. The other three participant
parties of the abject plot of a "single candidate" could hardly ever
influence the election campaign without the administrative resource.
Dashnaks have this possibility but and have to use it for the sake of a
sweeping change of the situation in NKR. It is time to act before fatal
things happen. They are leading Dashnaks along the path of political
disgrace. This plot cannot be brought into being, at least Dashnaks cannot
take part in it. Thus Dashnaks may be rehabilitated for the abject year 2006
and for the latest statement where the phrase "factual borders" was not
found.
In this case, however, it is not the outcome of the NKR presidential
election and the image of the Karabakh Dashnaks that matters. The elite of
this party in Yerevan state they have a certain "fixed" electorate, in
addition they make an effort to justify or explain the localization of the
role of Dashnaktsutyun in Armenia and the Armenian reality. In fact, this
localization is but a permanent marginal status. The leadership of the
party, despite its image, must be mindful of the fact that after "yielding"
Karabakh many ruling and opposition groups brought about their political end
and oblivion, their exhaustion. The continuation of the policy of
demonstrative neglect of the national interests in the east of the country
will lead Dashnaktsutyun to the political, more exactly the non-political
place where the All-Armenian Movement now is. Dashnaktsutyun should stop
being a clover for the leadership of the party in Yerevan, it should
remember its own importance, and if there is no sufficient information and
perception of the events in Armenia and the world, they need to ask, and
there will be an answer which they did not get from their leaders. They
understand and help those who want, who is interested. In Odessa, they say:
"Being interested is half the job". We are not enemies, we are friends and
we do not want to humiliate someone or point them to their real place: it is
the job of established or failing criminals. Dashnaktsutyun has a chance for
rebirth but it is necessary to call to account their small leadership and
make an independent move. It is better to act independently and make a
mistake than to be a marionette. In Karabakh, the hired idiots conduct the
intellectual ball, people with inadequate, defiant behavior.
In fact, the people who are able to think have been placed in some
"restricted zone", the anti-social behavior has become a rule, a handful of
intelligentsia, which has become rather interesting, has now dissolved in
trifling hand-outs, in fact a re-evaluation of values has taken place. And
all it happened in front of the eyes of the Dashnaktsutyun Party. There is a
"golden key" which may be crucial to Dashnaktsutyun in Karabakh to express
clearly and without an ostrich policy their standpoint on the main political
issues. It has not been done so far. This is the problem. One of the
monumental figures of the Karabakh movement said: "One step towards betrayal
is more dangerous than the following 10 steps in the same direction."
Masis Mayilyan is not a lifebelt and nor is he a versatile key to all
the problems. However, none of the other presidential candidates of Karabakh
has the political position he possesses. In some sense, he is a person who
continues to learn politics like a politician should be. A simple and
understandable thought relates to him: the NKR president should be elected,
not appointed, or thrown in. In the elections and in democracy in general
there are a lot of harmful and dangerous things but we must pass the way,
overcoming stupid illusions, political and civil cowardice, conformism and
prejudice to stand up for the second Armenian state in the east of our
homeland. A few years ago an important, more than important process of
granting sovereignty to unrecognized states set out but only states will get
sovereignty, not "zones". It is even dangerous to tell this to the society
which is inclined to contemplation and political dependence. Nothing is
arranged or predetermined in the international politics. Only states become
states. Eliminate "zones"!
IGOR MURADYAN
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