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THE LEGACY OF THE 2013 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Maria Titizian
http://asbarez.com/107925/the-legacy-of-the-2013-presidential-election/
There are eight men running for the coveted office of the president.
The Central Electoral Commission is a hub of activity, campaign slogans
have been determined, billboards are up, and television advertisements
are being aired, yet there's very little discussion about the policy
platforms of the candidates and there is even less excitement or buzz
in the country. There are no scheduled presidential debates. In fact,
debates are not part of the political culture in Armenia; the only
one that ever took place was during the 2003 presidential campaign
when Robert Kocharian and Stepan Demirchyan faced off.
For most Armenians, the outcome of this presidential campaign is
obvious, predetermined, therefore a political farce, simple hyperbole.
Some of the candidates are presumably taking it very seriously,
believing without any factual evidence (I have yet to see any polls)
or grassroots support that they're going to change the political
paradigm. Although it is not clear how they intend to do this when
one of them is staging a hunger strike, others are promising to go
on a hunger strike, some are threatening to withdraw and others
are actually withdrawing their candidacy. Some political forces
and segments of society are calling for a general boycott of the
elections, while others are telling voters to voice their protest
by invalidating the ballot on Election Day. None of the opposition
parties in the National Assembly (Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
Armenian National Congress, and Prosperous Armenia) are taking part
in the presidential elections nor have they endorsed any registered
candidate. Time will tell whether this decision was politically
astute. The Rule of Law Party, in coalition with the ruling Republican
Party, is obviously endorsing President Serge Sarkisian.
Of the candidates, none are talking about specific policy issues,
about their vision for the country, about their strategy to put the
economy on a track that would help ensure domestic production, create
jobs and security and instill hope in the future of the country. We
don't know their position on national security, foreign policy,
about migration or environmental issues with the exception of one
candidate but his electioneering tactics are getter greater air time,
drowning out ideas and debates. Indeed, the biggest issue so far of
the presidential campaign is how Raffi Hovhanessyan is running an
overly "Western" style campaign, something which has led to much
discussion, writing of opinion pieces and ridiculous commentaries
on Facebook pages, especially by members of the Republican Party,
including Minister of Education Armen Ashotyan. Someone should remind
Ashotyan that his responsibility is to ensure that future generations
of Armenia receive quality education, one that would ensure their
competitiveness and added value to sectors the current authorities
have been trying to expand, with lack of vision and to no avail.
President Serge Sarkisian has begun crisscrossing the country meeting
with voters, relying heavily upon oligarchs that have swelled the ranks
of the Republican Party, his appointed Marzpets and the "administrative
resources" at his disposal to ensure he can secure a respectable,
if not stellar, percentage of ballots guaranteeing him a second term
in office. Already there have been complaints, albeit not public,
by those in the state apparatus (these include teachers, doctors,
civil servants) about orders being handed down to vote for President
Sarkisian or risk losing their jobs. And as conspiracy theories abound
in our country, many people believe that some of the presidential
candidates have been "placed" as such to give the appearance of a
real race for the presidency, when in fact the outcome is painfully
clear - a sure victory for the incumbent. People are even saying that
some campaigns are being funded straight from the President's office
(this is not based on fact but rather on widespread hearsay). Others
are disappointed because election bribes this time around will not
be utilized to the extent they were in previous elections because
there's no real competition. Many registered voters made a tidy sum
of money during the parliamentary elections in May 2012 no thanks to
the disgraceful practice or "technologia" adopted by most political
forces in the country of passing out bribes to entire households of
voters (ranging from 5000-20,000 AMD/per voter), which has led to
the decimation of democratic norms, values and principles.
Everything in our country, from the exploitation of natural resources
to elections is relegated to the rawest form of economic transactions
with no regard for the consequences.
However, if this wasn't enough to fill us with sorrow at the
political reality in our country, some of the events of the past
few days certainly will. One event in particular has come to define
the mentality of persistent adulation or pseudo-leader worship by
those in the entertainment industry (and not only) who are afraid
of losing their star status and who compare a sitting president to
a Biblical figure... At a rehearsal for a campaign event for Serge
Sarkisian, well known celebrity Nazeni Hovhanissyan is charged with
prepping hundreds of young Armenians for the President's arrival. When
attempting to get them to open up a path for the President to walk
through she says, "Guys, imagine it is Moses coming through the Red
Sea." This statement has created an uproar in the country, in the
media and in all circles of society. Comparing a sitting, unpopular
president to a Biblical figure has sent the video on YouTube viral,
to even Biblical proportions.
Whatever the results of this presidential campaign, one thing is
strikingly clear; it will go down in Armenia's history as the most
uninspired, nonsensical elections. It painfully exemplifies the
cynicism, the distrust and contempt of our people toward the office of
the president, towards the democratic process and toward the political
system. It seems the fight has gone out of us, that we are collapsing
under the weight of irresponsible and reprehensible leadership. Young
people in our country are crying out for revolution, for drastic
measures, for change but they have yet to find the ingredients
necessary for social mobilization that would produce a resulting
power shift.
It continues to remain a mystery to me how the men in power in Armenia
sleep at night. What do they think they will bequeath to their own
children and grandchildren? A ravaged and empty plot of land? Is this
how they would treat their families? We often hear these very leaders
talk about how the Armenian family is the nucleus upon which this
country will thrive, but how can it thrive when its resources are
plundered, when it's people are exhausted, hungry, disillusioned,
when its structures aren't sustained, when its education system is
no longer competitive, when its people are sick and left to fend for
themselves? Is this what they would do to their own children? Is this
the legacy they want to leave? As they continue to wreak havoc on
our country and pretend that it's in our best interest, it is time
to return the power to the people, it is time to stand shoulder to
shoulder with the youth who are clamoring for change, perhaps the time
is ripe to return to the streets but this time with a clear plan of
action and with real leadership.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Maria Titizian
http://asbarez.com/107925/the-legacy-of-the-2013-presidential-election/
There are eight men running for the coveted office of the president.
The Central Electoral Commission is a hub of activity, campaign slogans
have been determined, billboards are up, and television advertisements
are being aired, yet there's very little discussion about the policy
platforms of the candidates and there is even less excitement or buzz
in the country. There are no scheduled presidential debates. In fact,
debates are not part of the political culture in Armenia; the only
one that ever took place was during the 2003 presidential campaign
when Robert Kocharian and Stepan Demirchyan faced off.
For most Armenians, the outcome of this presidential campaign is
obvious, predetermined, therefore a political farce, simple hyperbole.
Some of the candidates are presumably taking it very seriously,
believing without any factual evidence (I have yet to see any polls)
or grassroots support that they're going to change the political
paradigm. Although it is not clear how they intend to do this when
one of them is staging a hunger strike, others are promising to go
on a hunger strike, some are threatening to withdraw and others
are actually withdrawing their candidacy. Some political forces
and segments of society are calling for a general boycott of the
elections, while others are telling voters to voice their protest
by invalidating the ballot on Election Day. None of the opposition
parties in the National Assembly (Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
Armenian National Congress, and Prosperous Armenia) are taking part
in the presidential elections nor have they endorsed any registered
candidate. Time will tell whether this decision was politically
astute. The Rule of Law Party, in coalition with the ruling Republican
Party, is obviously endorsing President Serge Sarkisian.
Of the candidates, none are talking about specific policy issues,
about their vision for the country, about their strategy to put the
economy on a track that would help ensure domestic production, create
jobs and security and instill hope in the future of the country. We
don't know their position on national security, foreign policy,
about migration or environmental issues with the exception of one
candidate but his electioneering tactics are getter greater air time,
drowning out ideas and debates. Indeed, the biggest issue so far of
the presidential campaign is how Raffi Hovhanessyan is running an
overly "Western" style campaign, something which has led to much
discussion, writing of opinion pieces and ridiculous commentaries
on Facebook pages, especially by members of the Republican Party,
including Minister of Education Armen Ashotyan. Someone should remind
Ashotyan that his responsibility is to ensure that future generations
of Armenia receive quality education, one that would ensure their
competitiveness and added value to sectors the current authorities
have been trying to expand, with lack of vision and to no avail.
President Serge Sarkisian has begun crisscrossing the country meeting
with voters, relying heavily upon oligarchs that have swelled the ranks
of the Republican Party, his appointed Marzpets and the "administrative
resources" at his disposal to ensure he can secure a respectable,
if not stellar, percentage of ballots guaranteeing him a second term
in office. Already there have been complaints, albeit not public,
by those in the state apparatus (these include teachers, doctors,
civil servants) about orders being handed down to vote for President
Sarkisian or risk losing their jobs. And as conspiracy theories abound
in our country, many people believe that some of the presidential
candidates have been "placed" as such to give the appearance of a
real race for the presidency, when in fact the outcome is painfully
clear - a sure victory for the incumbent. People are even saying that
some campaigns are being funded straight from the President's office
(this is not based on fact but rather on widespread hearsay). Others
are disappointed because election bribes this time around will not
be utilized to the extent they were in previous elections because
there's no real competition. Many registered voters made a tidy sum
of money during the parliamentary elections in May 2012 no thanks to
the disgraceful practice or "technologia" adopted by most political
forces in the country of passing out bribes to entire households of
voters (ranging from 5000-20,000 AMD/per voter), which has led to
the decimation of democratic norms, values and principles.
Everything in our country, from the exploitation of natural resources
to elections is relegated to the rawest form of economic transactions
with no regard for the consequences.
However, if this wasn't enough to fill us with sorrow at the
political reality in our country, some of the events of the past
few days certainly will. One event in particular has come to define
the mentality of persistent adulation or pseudo-leader worship by
those in the entertainment industry (and not only) who are afraid
of losing their star status and who compare a sitting president to
a Biblical figure... At a rehearsal for a campaign event for Serge
Sarkisian, well known celebrity Nazeni Hovhanissyan is charged with
prepping hundreds of young Armenians for the President's arrival. When
attempting to get them to open up a path for the President to walk
through she says, "Guys, imagine it is Moses coming through the Red
Sea." This statement has created an uproar in the country, in the
media and in all circles of society. Comparing a sitting, unpopular
president to a Biblical figure has sent the video on YouTube viral,
to even Biblical proportions.
Whatever the results of this presidential campaign, one thing is
strikingly clear; it will go down in Armenia's history as the most
uninspired, nonsensical elections. It painfully exemplifies the
cynicism, the distrust and contempt of our people toward the office of
the president, towards the democratic process and toward the political
system. It seems the fight has gone out of us, that we are collapsing
under the weight of irresponsible and reprehensible leadership. Young
people in our country are crying out for revolution, for drastic
measures, for change but they have yet to find the ingredients
necessary for social mobilization that would produce a resulting
power shift.
It continues to remain a mystery to me how the men in power in Armenia
sleep at night. What do they think they will bequeath to their own
children and grandchildren? A ravaged and empty plot of land? Is this
how they would treat their families? We often hear these very leaders
talk about how the Armenian family is the nucleus upon which this
country will thrive, but how can it thrive when its resources are
plundered, when it's people are exhausted, hungry, disillusioned,
when its structures aren't sustained, when its education system is
no longer competitive, when its people are sick and left to fend for
themselves? Is this what they would do to their own children? Is this
the legacy they want to leave? As they continue to wreak havoc on
our country and pretend that it's in our best interest, it is time
to return the power to the people, it is time to stand shoulder to
shoulder with the youth who are clamoring for change, perhaps the time
is ripe to return to the streets but this time with a clear plan of
action and with real leadership.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress