The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) faced the following dilemma whether to involve the “majoritarian oligarchs” in the game or not. In both cases, there were things to gain and to lose. The advantage of the decision made is that oligarchs’ becoming MPs is ensured and they will contribute to the plans of their own party’s becoming a majority by that. And the negative thing for the RPA is that oligarchs become an easy target for the opposition by that and the Republican Party will still be rebuked in this election campaign lots of times because of that. These businessmen are really no politicians; they don’t stand out for their literacy and are absolutely incapable of carrying out public activities. However, those “minor drawbacks” are compensated by the fact that oligarchs, let me repeat, have no problem with being elected and if the RPA had proposed such and such instead of them, then the same businessmen would not have worked for that such and such with the same enthusiasm, as for themselves. It is simplest logic of human psychology – charity starts at home.
The Armenian National Congress (ANC) also faced a dilemma whether to address, although opposition, but solid and rational electorate (which is small, but qualitative) or “lumpenproletariats” who are the majority in Armenia because of the “smart” economic policy carried out for 20 years. The second, “quantitative,” choice was made. Both options had their advantages and disadvantages also in this case. Rational people, who were going to vote for the ANC, may shy away from ungrounded barbarism and bad language. On the other hand, lumpens are, though many, but volatile – they can complain about the top brass and their own life for hours, but at the end of the day, they will use the election bribe or “charity” of one of the member-parties of the coalition and vote “as they should.”
Let’s call another dilemma of the ANC a dilemma between romanticism and pragmatism, for convenience. Fight against the “criminal regime” is certainly very romantic, but it is not original – the opposition has been engaged in that for 20 years. After 1998, even the government waged fight “against the former criminal regime” for a few years, which is certainly absolute nonsense. However, now the ANC fights against the “regime” quite selectively sparing the PAP that is supposedly a part of that “regime.” They hope that this party will start to play in the opposition court. In other words, Robert Kocharyan will join Levon Ter-Petrossian in the fight against the “regime.” And that would really be the highest manifestation – I would say the triumph – of pragmatism. However, I am afraid that serious disappointment awaits the ANC in this case.
The other parties basically don’t face any dilemmas – they are doomed to be a part of respectively the government or the opposition.
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
