Although we, journalists, continue to ask representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) questions about the upcoming presidential election, those questions are basically
meaningless. The reason is obvious – those people whom we ask questions don’t decide anything. Only the leaders of the given parties can answer, but they are out of journalists’ reach. And the secondary figures – I mean, the rest – are aware of the processes “at the top” as much as we are. However, as opposed to us, after making a decision, they will find very convincing and eloquent arguments that will explain the step taken by their “boss,” whatever it is. For example, in any possible case, whether Ter-Petrossian is nominated or not, whether he endorses Gagik Tsarukyan, Vartan Oskanian, Robert Kocharyan or an expert in epic poems or doesn’t endorse any candidate, all the same, people in the ANC whom we ask the above-mentioned questions will state that it is the acme of smart attitude, as well as the final victory of pragmatism and realpolitik.
The same thing applies to the secondary figures of Tsarukyan’s and Serzh Sargsyan’s teams.
It is a meaningless question, for example, whether the coalition memorandum is in effect now. In the course of history, people didn’t give a damn about memorandums much more important than that, if there was a need for that. Or, are there negotiations under way? Even if there are, they are at the level of secondary figures and it means that their outcome will have no essential effect on the final decision.
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The cascade of information on those issues in the mass media, first of all, on the web, is of three types: 1. Colleagues just want to attract readers with sensational news that is based on “too reliable sources”; 2. The “participants in the game” themselves “cast” this or that made-up story into the mass media, in order to send a certain message to the other participants or to provoke certain moves of theirs; 3. The same players just try to discredit each other. In all three cases, naturally, it is not very important how reasonable that made-up information is. For example, I read somewhere lately that the ANC negotiated with Kocharyan’s sons, it is, at least, witty.
However, such “information flow,” if not encouraged, is a normal, common thing in many other countries. Our problem is different – in Armenia, besides the leaders, all the rest are secondary figures.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
