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MOMENT OF SINCERITY FOR SERZH SARGSYAN
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29230
11:22 11/03/2013
The breakthrough promised by Raffi Hovannisian on March 10 was his
decision to go on a hunger strike which he made known to the public.
The problem is not the hunger strike but the bar that Raffi Hovannisian
sets in the post-electoral period sending some important political
messages.
First, he defines that the post-electoral movement is not a political
deal. Perhaps Raffi Hovannisian thus tries to edit and correct his
tactical mistakes of closed political meetings which caused doubts
about a political deal.
By means of hunger strike and "over my dead body" stance Raffi
Hovannisian actually brings the process back from the point of a
political deal to the civil field. Perhaps this is the reason why
there is no political agreement yet. The PAP demanded to build up
cooperation around it, the ANC has refused to meet with Raffi, ARF
immediately referred to the local election in Yerevan, trying to move
the issue from the post-election to the pre-election stage.
Raffi Hovannisian's answer was a hunger strike. On the one hand,
he does not say no. On the other hand, he refuses more toughly,
he gives a so-called ascetic refusal. His message is that he is not
pretending to laurels but makes self-sacrifice, leaving all the other
proposals in the domain of political trade.
Now the ANC, ARF and PAP are headed for the local election while
Raffi Hovannisian states that he will protect people's victory in
the presidential election.
The government also appears in an interesting situation.
On the eve of Serzh Sargsyan's visit to Moscow the PAP announced that
it will run in the local election, put Vartan Oskanian at the top of
the list, underlining that the election is viewed in the context of
semi-presidential governance.
Of course, the PAP may say anything. But the hint on the municipal
election ahead of Sargsyan's visit to Moscow is interesting, especially
considering the tough conversation on the Customs Union and Eurasian
Union.
>>From this point of view Raffi Hovannisian's step has an interesting
potential. Hovannisian actually states that the municipal election
is nothing as long as the crisis caused by the presidential election
is resolved. If Raffi Hovannisian is able to keep the developments
in this logic, the municipal election will take place without the
society because the society will not go to the polling stations but
will stay with Raffi on the square. And it means that PAP's intention
for a great resistance will fail.
In this sense, Raffi Hovannisian with his brief statements and stress
on life and death is a life buoy for Serzh Sargsyan as he gets the
unpleasant news on the local elections ahead of his visit to Moscow.
If Serzh Sargsyan fails to appreciate this proposal and does not
launch rational, genuine, large-scale relations with the society,
later he may regret. He may regret even more if he is able keep the
post of president in his hands because in this case Serzh Sargsyan
will swear on his political dead body.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29230
11:22 11/03/2013
The breakthrough promised by Raffi Hovannisian on March 10 was his
decision to go on a hunger strike which he made known to the public.
The problem is not the hunger strike but the bar that Raffi Hovannisian
sets in the post-electoral period sending some important political
messages.
First, he defines that the post-electoral movement is not a political
deal. Perhaps Raffi Hovannisian thus tries to edit and correct his
tactical mistakes of closed political meetings which caused doubts
about a political deal.
By means of hunger strike and "over my dead body" stance Raffi
Hovannisian actually brings the process back from the point of a
political deal to the civil field. Perhaps this is the reason why
there is no political agreement yet. The PAP demanded to build up
cooperation around it, the ANC has refused to meet with Raffi, ARF
immediately referred to the local election in Yerevan, trying to move
the issue from the post-election to the pre-election stage.
Raffi Hovannisian's answer was a hunger strike. On the one hand,
he does not say no. On the other hand, he refuses more toughly,
he gives a so-called ascetic refusal. His message is that he is not
pretending to laurels but makes self-sacrifice, leaving all the other
proposals in the domain of political trade.
Now the ANC, ARF and PAP are headed for the local election while
Raffi Hovannisian states that he will protect people's victory in
the presidential election.
The government also appears in an interesting situation.
On the eve of Serzh Sargsyan's visit to Moscow the PAP announced that
it will run in the local election, put Vartan Oskanian at the top of
the list, underlining that the election is viewed in the context of
semi-presidential governance.
Of course, the PAP may say anything. But the hint on the municipal
election ahead of Sargsyan's visit to Moscow is interesting, especially
considering the tough conversation on the Customs Union and Eurasian
Union.
>>From this point of view Raffi Hovannisian's step has an interesting
potential. Hovannisian actually states that the municipal election
is nothing as long as the crisis caused by the presidential election
is resolved. If Raffi Hovannisian is able to keep the developments
in this logic, the municipal election will take place without the
society because the society will not go to the polling stations but
will stay with Raffi on the square. And it means that PAP's intention
for a great resistance will fail.
In this sense, Raffi Hovannisian with his brief statements and stress
on life and death is a life buoy for Serzh Sargsyan as he gets the
unpleasant news on the local elections ahead of his visit to Moscow.
If Serzh Sargsyan fails to appreciate this proposal and does not
launch rational, genuine, large-scale relations with the society,
later he may regret. He may regret even more if he is able keep the
post of president in his hands because in this case Serzh Sargsyan
will swear on his political dead body.