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EVOLUTIONARY ELECTION DEVELOPMENT ARE IMPOSSIBLE IN ARMENIA
Siranuysh Papyan
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/28592
17:08 09/01/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
Interview with member of Gyumri Elder's Council, publicist, board
chairman of Gyumri Aspares Journalists' club Levon Barseghyan
Levon, though the PAP won the mayoral elections in Gyumri, it decided
not to run for president. Do Gyumri residents feel disappointed with
such a decision?
No one thinks so deeply, the voters don't care about it. Only
a few do, but they understand why the PAP didn't nominate anyone
for president. The situation is hard. The game is over. Taking into
account Serzh Sargsyan's huge administrative resource and the political
weakness of the rest of the candidates, the upcoming elections will
be the most legitimate one, but in terms of election processes, they
will be the most distorted ones. The Armenian authorities managed to
weaken the possible oppositional developments and split it through
pressings. Though, Andiras Ghukasyan's approaches differ, but it will
anyway be impossible to ensure changes through such a participation
in elections. We are possible to have the outrageous turnout as it
happened in 2005 constitutional referendum, when the 10-14% of the
voters participated, but the official figures showed 65%. Another
important circumstance may be the activities of the ANC, PAP, ARFD
and Heritage in election commissions; whether they would like to rule
out breaches, ballot stuffing because the authorities would not like
Serzh Sargsyan to be elected president even with 80% if only 20%
of voters participate. It is not ruled out that the oligarchs will
ask the president the permission to distribute bribes to encourage
people to vote. Even with the application of many other resources,
they are possible to fail to ensure a high turnout.
Why did the other parties you mentioned not run for president?
Perhaps, they calculated and understood that the regime will win
anyway, they are sure that it is impossible to expect a true election
mechanism in our country, so they decided not to play and spare
their health, as well as, they are possible to lack measures. Any
ruling candidate for president in Armenia has 40% of administrative
resource, so, if someone wants to defeat the ruling candidate, should
have 35-40% support. In case of the PAP, there was some risk of losing
business, wealth.
Are those who assess the situation soberly possible to unite and
propose an alternative?
I don't think so. They are few compared to the huge electorate which is
below the poverty level. They can't compete with the power. There have
been some ideas such as alternative parliament, boycott, resistance
without law breaches, civil disobedience, but all those people who
agreed with any of these ideas would be less than 1000.
Perhaps, it is time for these people to buy lands in Armenia and
establish their community because it is impossible to defeat the 40%
administrative resource with thousands of voters who differ from a
herd only symbolically.
This is not an average social-democratic country, this is a particular
"hotel-retirement home-casino concentration camp", and we can't
expect from it what we would expect from a developing country. It is
impossible taking into account that the 1/3 of the population is poor,
the others work abroad and send money to the 30-40% of the population
- elderly people and children; the proportion of those who receive
salaries from the budget is too big compared to democratic countries.
There are 10-12 evident or hidden police officers each 1000 citizens.
The average population has no motivation to change the power. The
average citizen has no wish to fight for their rights. And if people
decide to unite like they did in 2008, again, there will be tanks and
armed soldiers and bodyguards, who will fire and kill. People know
those guilty for the March 1 have never been punished. No evolutionary
election developments can happen in Armenia.
From: A. Papazian
Siranuysh Papyan
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/interview/view/28592
17:08 09/01/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
Interview with member of Gyumri Elder's Council, publicist, board
chairman of Gyumri Aspares Journalists' club Levon Barseghyan
Levon, though the PAP won the mayoral elections in Gyumri, it decided
not to run for president. Do Gyumri residents feel disappointed with
such a decision?
No one thinks so deeply, the voters don't care about it. Only
a few do, but they understand why the PAP didn't nominate anyone
for president. The situation is hard. The game is over. Taking into
account Serzh Sargsyan's huge administrative resource and the political
weakness of the rest of the candidates, the upcoming elections will
be the most legitimate one, but in terms of election processes, they
will be the most distorted ones. The Armenian authorities managed to
weaken the possible oppositional developments and split it through
pressings. Though, Andiras Ghukasyan's approaches differ, but it will
anyway be impossible to ensure changes through such a participation
in elections. We are possible to have the outrageous turnout as it
happened in 2005 constitutional referendum, when the 10-14% of the
voters participated, but the official figures showed 65%. Another
important circumstance may be the activities of the ANC, PAP, ARFD
and Heritage in election commissions; whether they would like to rule
out breaches, ballot stuffing because the authorities would not like
Serzh Sargsyan to be elected president even with 80% if only 20%
of voters participate. It is not ruled out that the oligarchs will
ask the president the permission to distribute bribes to encourage
people to vote. Even with the application of many other resources,
they are possible to fail to ensure a high turnout.
Why did the other parties you mentioned not run for president?
Perhaps, they calculated and understood that the regime will win
anyway, they are sure that it is impossible to expect a true election
mechanism in our country, so they decided not to play and spare
their health, as well as, they are possible to lack measures. Any
ruling candidate for president in Armenia has 40% of administrative
resource, so, if someone wants to defeat the ruling candidate, should
have 35-40% support. In case of the PAP, there was some risk of losing
business, wealth.
Are those who assess the situation soberly possible to unite and
propose an alternative?
I don't think so. They are few compared to the huge electorate which is
below the poverty level. They can't compete with the power. There have
been some ideas such as alternative parliament, boycott, resistance
without law breaches, civil disobedience, but all those people who
agreed with any of these ideas would be less than 1000.
Perhaps, it is time for these people to buy lands in Armenia and
establish their community because it is impossible to defeat the 40%
administrative resource with thousands of voters who differ from a
herd only symbolically.
This is not an average social-democratic country, this is a particular
"hotel-retirement home-casino concentration camp", and we can't
expect from it what we would expect from a developing country. It is
impossible taking into account that the 1/3 of the population is poor,
the others work abroad and send money to the 30-40% of the population
- elderly people and children; the proportion of those who receive
salaries from the budget is too big compared to democratic countries.
There are 10-12 evident or hidden police officers each 1000 citizens.
The average population has no motivation to change the power. The
average citizen has no wish to fight for their rights. And if people
decide to unite like they did in 2008, again, there will be tanks and
armed soldiers and bodyguards, who will fire and kill. People know
those guilty for the March 1 have never been punished. No evolutionary
election developments can happen in Armenia.
From: A. Papazian