During their latest interviews, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) members, based probably on the decisions of their general meeting, stated that during the presidential election, they would nominate or endorse the candidate that would dismantle the institution of presidency. No matter how much I disagree with the ideology of that party, I must admit that it is a political program, around which forces with different orientation can unite. If there is such a candidate, regardless of his name and party membership (it is more desirable that he is not a party member at all), who will state that becoming the president, he will support the amendment to the Constitution within a year, adoption of parliamentary government, after which he will resign and will conduct a fair parliamentary election and will not aspire after an office of neither MP, nor Prime Minister, nor Minister, nor any other office, such a candidate, I believe, will have chances to win the favor of normal citizens.
I wouldn’t like to start an academic debate on the merits and demerits of different systems of government. The issue here is in a different field – the most important obstacle in the way of Armenia’s development is the personalized approach to all social issues. The myth about the savior, the boss, the hero or the king has deep roots in the minds of our people. When we think about a possible candidate for the president, the first thing that occurs to us is “what that person will do in order that I am successful.” The fact that this mortal, from whom we expect good deeds, may turn into a bad guy and an absolutely disgusting figure for us tomorrow, given certain circumstances, occurs only to very few people. So, the right thing is not to wait for a kind king, but to create such mechanisms, given which, everyone – good or bad, talented or untalented – will act within the limits of the law.
Taking all this into account, the so-attractive office of the president must probably be destroyed. It, certainly, will not ensure a dramatic change in the situation by itself; one should include, along with that, a more clear mechanism of checks and balances in the Constitution than the one, which is in the existing Supreme Law. However, regardless of whether the ARF approach is right or wrong, it is a political one in its content – i.e. it is directed toward the system and not a person. What the opposition has been demanding for 20 years – the immediate resignation of the president and snap elections – is not really political. Because after that the merits and demerits of three mortals were unavoidably discussed and are still being discussed. And those are fruitless, kitchen and narrow-minded speculations, which have nothing to do with politics at all.
Admittedly, the opposition doesn’t demand immediate resignation at the moment. However, it is temporary – it will start again in February.
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
