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FEUDALISM RETURNS TO ARMENIA
Vestnik Kavkaza
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/29598.html
July 31 2012
Russia
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK
For many centuries Armenia was a feudal country ruled by a main
feudal-tsar and feudal princes. In fact, the country stopped being
feudal only after becoming Soviet. However, since 1998, i.e. after
Robert Kocharyan became president, feudalism revived. As a result of a
division of interests and parts of economy between members of the team
of the second president, Armenia became divided into regions ruled
by feudal prince-governors appointed by Kocharyan and his successor
Sargsyan. But in recent times the medieval feudal system has failed
in Armenia. Feudal governors and mayors felt too much freedom and
decided to act against their patrons' will. One such presumptuous
prince is the self-perpetuating mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Gukasyan.
On 9 September, Gyumri, the second city of Armenia, will hold the
elections for mayor. The city is gripped by election fever. The main
question is whether the current Gyumri mayor, Vardan Gukasyan, will
take part in the polls. It is the most discussed question not only in
the city, but in the whole republic. According to Gukasyan's team,
the mayor hasn't decided on the issue yet. But he has stated that
"the people make him, even force him to take part in the polls." The
situation around Gyumri's mayor became tense after Gukasyan asked
for the resignation of the head of the territorial party structure
of the Republican Party of Armenia in the Shirak region on July 21:
see VK http://vestikavkaza.ru/articles/Vybory-mera-Gyumri-.html. It
seems Gukasyan wants to prove that he can leave the party at any
moment and become an independent candidate.
First and foremost, the reason for Gukasyan's deed is dissatisfaction
with the results of the parliamentary elections in Gyumri by the top
administration of the party and President Sargsyan. The authorities
accuse the mayor of lack of passion and initiatives during the
parliamentary elections. The Republican candidate gained 14.5 thousand
votes, while the candidate from Prosperous Armenia gained 2 thousand
votes. However, the only real reason for failure in the elections in
Gyumri is that for many years the authorities didn't want to deal
with the problems of Gyumri's citizens. More than 6000 families
are homeless in the city, the poverty level has reached 40%. Thus,
Gukasyan should be blamed for ignoring the peculiarities of the local
residents' character, so he made overstated promises.
An MP from Prosperous Armenia, Samvel Balasanyan, is thought to be
a possible successor to the self-perpetuating mayor of Gyumri. The
PPA has decided to adopt Balasanyan in the mayoral elections. A
businessman and the owner of the major brewery enterprise in Gyumri,
Balasanyan is thought to be one of the traditional representatives
of the Armenia political field, considering his ties to the past
and present. But even he seems to be preferable to Gukasyan. RPA
supports Balasyan as well, as he has commercial interests with
top state officials. Moreover, support for the PPA candidate makes
the authorities cooperate with the party, despite its efforts to
demonstrate its opposition character. Therefore, the opposition PPA
stands together with the ruling party in the mayoral elections.
The second reason for eliminating Gukasyan from politics is the
general policy of renewing the list of those in power. The current
mayor and his relatives have been involved many times in scandals
and criminal affairs. In this sense, the developments in Gyumri
should worry other Armenian feudalists who have ruled their cities
for several terms. Gyumri is full of rumors at the moment. Some say
that Gusakyan is trying to attain his next "re-election" by means of
the Russian president.
The residents of Gyumri are indifferent to the top-level struggle and
to the prospect of replacing the self-perpetuating mayor, because it
wouldn't affect their everyday problems.
Vestnik Kavkaza
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/29598.html
July 31 2012
Russia
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK
For many centuries Armenia was a feudal country ruled by a main
feudal-tsar and feudal princes. In fact, the country stopped being
feudal only after becoming Soviet. However, since 1998, i.e. after
Robert Kocharyan became president, feudalism revived. As a result of a
division of interests and parts of economy between members of the team
of the second president, Armenia became divided into regions ruled
by feudal prince-governors appointed by Kocharyan and his successor
Sargsyan. But in recent times the medieval feudal system has failed
in Armenia. Feudal governors and mayors felt too much freedom and
decided to act against their patrons' will. One such presumptuous
prince is the self-perpetuating mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Gukasyan.
On 9 September, Gyumri, the second city of Armenia, will hold the
elections for mayor. The city is gripped by election fever. The main
question is whether the current Gyumri mayor, Vardan Gukasyan, will
take part in the polls. It is the most discussed question not only in
the city, but in the whole republic. According to Gukasyan's team,
the mayor hasn't decided on the issue yet. But he has stated that
"the people make him, even force him to take part in the polls." The
situation around Gyumri's mayor became tense after Gukasyan asked
for the resignation of the head of the territorial party structure
of the Republican Party of Armenia in the Shirak region on July 21:
see VK http://vestikavkaza.ru/articles/Vybory-mera-Gyumri-.html. It
seems Gukasyan wants to prove that he can leave the party at any
moment and become an independent candidate.
First and foremost, the reason for Gukasyan's deed is dissatisfaction
with the results of the parliamentary elections in Gyumri by the top
administration of the party and President Sargsyan. The authorities
accuse the mayor of lack of passion and initiatives during the
parliamentary elections. The Republican candidate gained 14.5 thousand
votes, while the candidate from Prosperous Armenia gained 2 thousand
votes. However, the only real reason for failure in the elections in
Gyumri is that for many years the authorities didn't want to deal
with the problems of Gyumri's citizens. More than 6000 families
are homeless in the city, the poverty level has reached 40%. Thus,
Gukasyan should be blamed for ignoring the peculiarities of the local
residents' character, so he made overstated promises.
An MP from Prosperous Armenia, Samvel Balasanyan, is thought to be
a possible successor to the self-perpetuating mayor of Gyumri. The
PPA has decided to adopt Balasanyan in the mayoral elections. A
businessman and the owner of the major brewery enterprise in Gyumri,
Balasanyan is thought to be one of the traditional representatives
of the Armenia political field, considering his ties to the past
and present. But even he seems to be preferable to Gukasyan. RPA
supports Balasyan as well, as he has commercial interests with
top state officials. Moreover, support for the PPA candidate makes
the authorities cooperate with the party, despite its efforts to
demonstrate its opposition character. Therefore, the opposition PPA
stands together with the ruling party in the mayoral elections.
The second reason for eliminating Gukasyan from politics is the
general policy of renewing the list of those in power. The current
mayor and his relatives have been involved many times in scandals
and criminal affairs. In this sense, the developments in Gyumri
should worry other Armenian feudalists who have ruled their cities
for several terms. Gyumri is full of rumors at the moment. Some say
that Gusakyan is trying to attain his next "re-election" by means of
the Russian president.
The residents of Gyumri are indifferent to the top-level struggle and
to the prospect of replacing the self-perpetuating mayor, because it
wouldn't affect their everyday problems.