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THE TIME OF ELECTION BRIBE
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25112.html
Published: 11:59:45 - 13/02/2012
The topic of the election bribes is again relevant in the mayoral
elections in Hrazdan Town. So was in the mayoral election of Yerevan
in 2009 when the Armenian National Congress accused most voters of
accepting election bribes and selling their votes.
The topic is urgent. No doubt it will be the key instrument of the
government or the pro-government forces. It already is, considering
the overwhelming charity campaign launched by the key forces in power.
The charisma and authority of one government figure or another is built
on this form of election bribe, and people love, respect and honor
one person or another for the money or assistance or pledges offered
by this person, not because this person has proposed interesting and
effective models of life and social coexistence.
It is not surprising though, considering the severe social and
economic conditions in which part of our society lives. Besides,
progressive youth is very small in the society of Armenia.
In Armenia, the youth is older than the physically old part of the
society, for objective and subjective, ethnic and cultural reasons, by
their worldview, thinking and values. In other words, the critical mass
aware of the value of its vote is not formed within the society which
would rule our charisma or temporary success built on the election
bribe or their essential influence on the outcome of the election.
In addition, emigration cannot be viewed as a cause in the sense that
the thinking part of the society emigrates. In fact, the thinking
part of the Armenian society has never been a critical majority,
simply it took the government some time to understand the "soul"
of the majority and work out effective methods of dealing with it.
Meanwhile, the opposition seems to fail to find the method of dealing
with this "critical" mass effectively to minimize the factor of
election bribes in determining the outcome of the elections.
In 2008 the results of the opposition indicated that this method was
found. For instance, Ter-Petrosyan's proposal to clear the Augean
stables persuaded the society, and the factor of the election bribes
which was deciding in the parliamentary elections of 2007 was minimized
in the presidential elections of 2008. Then the opposition gradually
became less persuasive, which "revived" election bribes.
It is possible to accuse people who are not aware of the power of
the vote because they have degraded in mental and moral terms. In
fact, these accusations are desperate screams rather than effective
political and civil policy.
Everything depends on what the elites - ruling, political or civil -
offer to the society. The ruling elite offer money, in other words,
complicity in the present system. What do the political and civil
elites offer, and are their proposals long-term, objective and
persuasive? Perhaps the solutions must be sought for in this field.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25112.html
Published: 11:59:45 - 13/02/2012
The topic of the election bribes is again relevant in the mayoral
elections in Hrazdan Town. So was in the mayoral election of Yerevan
in 2009 when the Armenian National Congress accused most voters of
accepting election bribes and selling their votes.
The topic is urgent. No doubt it will be the key instrument of the
government or the pro-government forces. It already is, considering
the overwhelming charity campaign launched by the key forces in power.
The charisma and authority of one government figure or another is built
on this form of election bribe, and people love, respect and honor
one person or another for the money or assistance or pledges offered
by this person, not because this person has proposed interesting and
effective models of life and social coexistence.
It is not surprising though, considering the severe social and
economic conditions in which part of our society lives. Besides,
progressive youth is very small in the society of Armenia.
In Armenia, the youth is older than the physically old part of the
society, for objective and subjective, ethnic and cultural reasons, by
their worldview, thinking and values. In other words, the critical mass
aware of the value of its vote is not formed within the society which
would rule our charisma or temporary success built on the election
bribe or their essential influence on the outcome of the election.
In addition, emigration cannot be viewed as a cause in the sense that
the thinking part of the society emigrates. In fact, the thinking
part of the Armenian society has never been a critical majority,
simply it took the government some time to understand the "soul"
of the majority and work out effective methods of dealing with it.
Meanwhile, the opposition seems to fail to find the method of dealing
with this "critical" mass effectively to minimize the factor of
election bribes in determining the outcome of the elections.
In 2008 the results of the opposition indicated that this method was
found. For instance, Ter-Petrosyan's proposal to clear the Augean
stables persuaded the society, and the factor of the election bribes
which was deciding in the parliamentary elections of 2007 was minimized
in the presidential elections of 2008. Then the opposition gradually
became less persuasive, which "revived" election bribes.
It is possible to accuse people who are not aware of the power of
the vote because they have degraded in mental and moral terms. In
fact, these accusations are desperate screams rather than effective
political and civil policy.
Everything depends on what the elites - ruling, political or civil -
offer to the society. The ruling elite offer money, in other words,
complicity in the present system. What do the political and civil
elites offer, and are their proposals long-term, objective and
persuasive? Perhaps the solutions must be sought for in this field.