Arman Grigoryan, the Armenian National Congress (ANC) representative at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, says
The beginning in yesterday’s issue of Aravot
– Those statements of yours were made in the context of certain tension in the Pan-Armenian National Movement (PANM) and after that, the so-called pro-Western wing – Khachatur Kokobelyan, Ararat Zurabyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, Karapet Rubinyan, Davit Shahnazaryan, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan – left the PANM, then also the ANC. Is it because of ideological contradictions, as those who have left claim?
– Certainly, I don’t want to surely claim what was the main reason for the withdrawal of the figures you have mentioned from the Congress. Regardless of their claims, I am inclined to think that different people have left for different reasons, including ideological contradictions. However, I want to make a few observations. First, many of the figures you have mentioned have regularly claimed that the Congress has deviated from liberalism, but they haven’t gone into detail, they haven’t explained what steps and decisions, in particular, they mean, whether they talk about the socio-economic or the political doctrine of liberalism. In a nutshell, I haven’t seen any content in their statements, therefore, it is hard for me to make a more concrete response to those. Second, some of the figures you have mentioned have a rather unpleasant habit of identifying liberalism with pro-Westernism. I want to remind them that perhaps, the most pro-Western country in the world is Saudi Arabia. They also assume that liberalism is the driving force of the Western policy. I must remind them that the West has confronted many democratic movements and elected governments, when the interests of those movements and governments didn’t correspond to their interests. Third, the figures you have mentioned stubbornly avoid explaining to us, mere mortals, what Armenia will gain from their pro-Westernism that will be more preferable than status quo. Have they promised membership in NATO, are they ready to sell us more and cheaper arms than Russians, will they control our border with Turkey, will they pursue a more pro-Armenian policy on the Karabakh issue, will they show big economic support, will they contribute to establishing democracy in Armenia. And what price should Armenia pay for all this? If such guarantees have been given and the price is reasonable, I am ready to submit an application to join the ranks of the Free Democrats Party and to begin struggle for the title of the most ardent pro-Westerner. And if such promises and guarantees are not there, what has inspired our pro-Westerners so much? Fourth, besides pragmatic reasons, they seem to think that pro-Westernism and Russophobia are the most morally unproblematic positions. I am very far from thinking that Russia or any other state is the embodiment of some ideals, but I would suggest that our pro-Westerners compare the number of people killed by Russia and the West for the past 20 years. One could have some conscience, while speaking so much of ideals, liberalism and other lofty things.
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– “There are forces in the ANC that have ideological approaches that contradict, even rule out each other – from extreme liberalists to nationalists. The ANC was established on this principle from the beginning and many people, including me, think that it is one of the advantages of the Congress. Now, along with other things, the ANC wants to wipe out this oligarchic system in Armenia. I am strongly convinced that liberal ideology is not the best weapon in that struggle. The most efficient ideology in the struggle against oligarchy is social democratic one,” you said in an interview given to Aravot. How will the ANC struggle against oligarchy along with an oligarch?
– Every politician and analyst who lives in Armenia and has read two books and has watched three documentary movies can speak for hours about how wise Churchill and Roosevelt were that despite their almost genetic anti-Communism, managed to cooperate with Stalin. They can bore even the most patient listener with their clichés that there are no eternal enemies or friends and quotations of Machiavelli made in an elevated tone. They are ready to label everyone who will deviate even an inch from those clichés a political dilettante. However, for some reason, after the decision of the Congress to cooperate with the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAPA), the same people have had serious problems with metabolism… I don’t know any democratic movement that succeeded in the struggle against tyranny without cooperating with this or that part of it. Those who criticize that cooperation either like this regime or want to make us accept dissident morality. And for me there is nothing more disgusting than hypocritical dissident morality, when there is even a slight chance to achieve real changes even at the expense of difficult compromises.
Nelly Grigoryan
