Is convinced Tigran Torosyan, the former Speaker of the National Assembly and PhD in political science
– It is yet another crisis in the National Assembly – the Speaker of the National Assembly has changed again. According to some claims, our parliament is not destined to have a National Assembly Speaker who will work till the end of his term. Do you believe that dark forces are involved in this, as your colleagues claim reminding of Kozern cemetery?
– It is not casual that the events taking place in the political system of the country are given superstitious explanations. The political content of those has completely disappeared. The parliamentary majority has become a big voting button for the past few years, the political debates have completely disappeared from the parliament. Even during discussions on the most important issues, the majority doesn’t even try to defend the drafts of the cabinet formed by them or the treaties put forward by the president of the country. Let me make only two examples. There were three statements during a discussion on prolonging the term for the Russian military bases, but none of those made by the majority. A few days ago the state budget draft for 2012, the most important political and economic document of the upcoming year, was discussed. 10 MPs made speeches, only one from the majority in the parliament, furthermore only concerning Javakhk issues. The parliament is the main place for presenting political ideas and alternative approaches to the society and when that lacks, the parliament loses its meaning. However, it is not only about parliament. Look how the “private” TV channels cover the budget discussions. They speak of the subject at issue for a few seconds, not referring to the speeches, then the speech of an official is shown on what his grandpa advised him about making friends with abstainers. Overall disappointment. It is not casual that the number of people leaving the country doesn’t decrease before the elections, as it usually happens, but increases. All that was going on yesterday and is going on today testify to the distortion and crisis in the multiparty system of Armenia. Since everything in this country forms that system, crisis is everywhere. “Explanations” that are given on the layoffs also testify to that. No serious explanation was voiced, on the contrary – the statements are just offensive for the country and the society. When some party processes are presented as more preferable than the state administration system, it is a manifestation of ignorance and disregard toward the state. Certainly, the discharges from the high-ranking offices in the state are not a tragedy, but it is obvious that they have nothing to do with political processes in progress and consequently will not influence the day-by-day deepening problems and worsening situation in any way.
– You said that no serious explanation was given to the resignations or discharges, but I think you’ll agree that nothing is eternal and no office is eternal and if they take place, then there are reasons for that, then why is it bad when they say that these people go to work at the headquarters or when they say that this time everything will be done to hold free and democratic elections?
– Let me remind a saying about words, “Fine words butter no parsnips.” If someone thinks that he wants to fix something – he should firstly explain why he hasn’t done that before. One mustn’t forget that party headquarters do not organize elections and it is interesting how they are going to affect the quality of the election. When the establishment, in particular, speaks of free and fair elections, it shouldn’t forget that the establishment is criticized for the rigged elections in the first place. The only thing done after the previous election concerning elections is the adoption of the new Electoral Code. However, only an absolutely cynical man can claim that the quality of elections changes with amending the code.
Let alone it doesn’t change through the work of party headquarters. It is obvious that the proposed explanations could not convince anybody and the proposers knew it quite well.
– What prediction can you make about the future – will the coalition dissolve before the parliamentary election or will they run for the election peacefully, will the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) become opposition or not?
– I think today, a few months before the election, it is just meaningless to speak of the fate of the coalition, as, according to the Constitution, the term for it ends with the election.
– What do you think of the relationship between PAP and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)?
– Firstly the real leaders have commented on almost no event for quite a long time. It is done by MPs at best who have never participated and don’t participate in making decisions and find out about those just a few hours earlier than ordinary citizens and it is the reason why they make ambiguous and controversial commentaries all the time that cause various commentaries. As for the relationship itself, PAP, being a part of the coalition cabinet, has gotten seats in the cabinet not corresponding to the seat ratio of the parties in the parliament and as the election approaches (perhaps after that it is possible that PAP will participate in forming a coalition cabinet again), it is very logical that they express displeasure this way or another about the situation, in order to avoid it in the future. Moreover providing such manifestations are advantageous before the election, as means for separating from the unreliable establishment this way or another. It is obvious that RPA doesn’t like all that and rude encounters take place from time to time.
– Are you determined already how you will participate in the parliamentary election through proportional representation in an existing party or perhaps in a new party?
– I haven’t made an agreement with anybody yet. As opposed to many, being an MP is not an end in itself for me. It is obvious that political activities are a result of team work, despite to what extent different members contribute to that team, what abilities they have etc. It is necessary to have common goals, principles and values, in order to perform political activities with a certain team. If there is a political force, with which there are such common things, then I will think of participating in the election, if not, it is possible that I will not participate. At the end of the day, it is not the only area of my activities and in the case of not participating in the election, I will have something important and interesting to do.
– However, the stage is quite clear – do you mean a new force or one of the existing?
– I mean a political force of new quality and not necessarily the newly-established one. I think during the upcoming two months everything will be clear with the upcoming parliamentary election. Therefore one can patiently wait.
– Do you mean that a new political force will be established in the meantime?
– I don’t see any grounds for establishing a new political force at the moment, despite I cannot completely rule out the possibility of its establishment. Everything is possible in Armenia.
Interviewed MARGARIT YESAYAN
