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WEST NOT INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA
by Armen Bagdasaryan
168 Zham, Armenia
Dec 14 2006
"We received 0.6 per cent of challenges"
So, the first batch of 236m dollars - 1.4m dollars - will be
transferred to Armenia under the Millennium Challenge programme by
the end of the year. Representatives of the Millennium Challenge
programme have said that if the parliamentary and presidential
elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008 do not meet democratic norms,
they may revise their decision and stop transferring the money.
But this does not mean that the Armenian authorities will do everything
possible to hold the forthcoming election as required.
Everything will take place according to the scenarios of the previous
election, though some technologies of fraud may be changed. Why?
Despite everything, the Millennium Challenge will undoubtedly give
this money to Armenia and the Armenian authorities are well aware
of this. But the problem is that the West is not concerned about
the democracy level in Armenia. Of course, they pretend that this is
very important for them, but actually they do not care about whether
Armenia is a democratic state or a dictatorship. Certainly, this does
not mean that democracy is not important for the West. It is important,
but only in the case of the states which threaten the security of the
West. For instance, it is very important for the West that democracy is
established in Russia, China and Iran. And this is clear as democratic
societies are the most predictable ones. In other words, if a state
is democratic, it may not be dangerous for the West any longer.
Armenia is not on the list of these states, as it has neither energy
resources nor a nuclear weapon, and it is not on an important
transport crossroads. Armenia can be dangerous for the West only
because of one index: if social plight worsens in Armenia much,
thousands of refugees will leave for Europe and the USA. Thus, the
West does not have a task of democratization in Armenia but that of
"poverty alleviation". People should have something to eat so that
they do not crowd Europe or break the calm of the "old world".
For several decades the West has been acting in this way: it is
cheaper for them to "overcome poverty" in the countries of the third
world than to bear migrants from these countries. In this case their
states will be preserved "clean"; especially as terrorist movements
are usually formed in poorer states. For this reason, they allocate
money for poverty alleviation especially in rural districts as people
emigrate chiefly form these districts.
This does not at all mean that we cannot develop the country with
the help of the money given by the Millennium Challenge. We should
simply understand that nevertheless, the strengthening of democracy
and liberalization of economy are the most tested ways for fighting
poverty and developing the economy and that sums from "aside" can
only promote this.
Anyway, even if the authorities understand that the Millennium
Challenge money will reach Armenia, this does not at all mean that
they should hold the forthcoming election just in the same way as
the previous ones. Finally, the West is not obliged to think about
our future.
by Armen Bagdasaryan
168 Zham, Armenia
Dec 14 2006
"We received 0.6 per cent of challenges"
So, the first batch of 236m dollars - 1.4m dollars - will be
transferred to Armenia under the Millennium Challenge programme by
the end of the year. Representatives of the Millennium Challenge
programme have said that if the parliamentary and presidential
elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008 do not meet democratic norms,
they may revise their decision and stop transferring the money.
But this does not mean that the Armenian authorities will do everything
possible to hold the forthcoming election as required.
Everything will take place according to the scenarios of the previous
election, though some technologies of fraud may be changed. Why?
Despite everything, the Millennium Challenge will undoubtedly give
this money to Armenia and the Armenian authorities are well aware
of this. But the problem is that the West is not concerned about
the democracy level in Armenia. Of course, they pretend that this is
very important for them, but actually they do not care about whether
Armenia is a democratic state or a dictatorship. Certainly, this does
not mean that democracy is not important for the West. It is important,
but only in the case of the states which threaten the security of the
West. For instance, it is very important for the West that democracy is
established in Russia, China and Iran. And this is clear as democratic
societies are the most predictable ones. In other words, if a state
is democratic, it may not be dangerous for the West any longer.
Armenia is not on the list of these states, as it has neither energy
resources nor a nuclear weapon, and it is not on an important
transport crossroads. Armenia can be dangerous for the West only
because of one index: if social plight worsens in Armenia much,
thousands of refugees will leave for Europe and the USA. Thus, the
West does not have a task of democratization in Armenia but that of
"poverty alleviation". People should have something to eat so that
they do not crowd Europe or break the calm of the "old world".
For several decades the West has been acting in this way: it is
cheaper for them to "overcome poverty" in the countries of the third
world than to bear migrants from these countries. In this case their
states will be preserved "clean"; especially as terrorist movements
are usually formed in poorer states. For this reason, they allocate
money for poverty alleviation especially in rural districts as people
emigrate chiefly form these districts.
This does not at all mean that we cannot develop the country with
the help of the money given by the Millennium Challenge. We should
simply understand that nevertheless, the strengthening of democracy
and liberalization of economy are the most tested ways for fighting
poverty and developing the economy and that sums from "aside" can
only promote this.
Anyway, even if the authorities understand that the Millennium
Challenge money will reach Armenia, this does not at all mean that
they should hold the forthcoming election just in the same way as
the previous ones. Finally, the West is not obliged to think about
our future.