Yesterday the presidential election campaign was launched. One day before the official election campaign, Serzh Sargsyan, the incumbent president and a candidate for president, gave an extensive interview to Radio Liberty on January 20, in which he talked about a set of spheres.
Serzh Sargsyan attached importance conducting such an election that would enjoy more trust among both the people and the colleagues. “The 2012 parliamentary election received more positive, than negative responses, and the local elections that took place in September were described as completely corresponding to the European standards. We consider these
achievements of 2012 as a starting point for the 2013 election. I am sure that we will be able to conduct such an election, because conducting such an election is first of all in our interest, then in our colleagues’ interest.”
Edgar Vardanyan, a political analyst and an expert of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) said about S. Sargsyan’s interview during a conversation with Aravot that the start of this election was very much like the start of the previous elections in some respects, but it had elements that hadn’t been there in the previous elections. “The government’s candidate has made such an extensive speech for the second time; the previous speech was the one at the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) congress. The novelty may be the fact that today it is more talked about the attitude – society’s attitude, candidates’ attitude – toward the election, than about the electoral process, programs. In this sense, the current situation is unprecedented. The hunger strike is also unprecedented, because no candidate has taken such a step at the launch of an election campaign, and the important thing here is the demand of the hunger striker to void the registration of the ruling party’s candidate, because he abuses his office and creates unequal conditions. I don’t know where this will end up, but this election will not be held as usual, because the discourse has changed, and society has really been offered a good opportunity to correct its political attitude.”
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E. Vardanyan is convinced that society is divided into several groups, and it is obvious that in the social discourse, the majority doesn’t trust the ruling regime, but that majority is divided into several groups, based on how they intend to participate in the upcoming election. “One group says that one shouldn’t participate in the election in any way, because it is an imitation. A representative of another group is Andrias Ghukasyan who says that the election should be used to strike a blow to the regime, and in order that society is finally convinced that one shouldn’t pin any hopes on the government. The representatives of the third group think that one should participate in the election, one should mobilize society and seize the opportunity to spread ideas, criticize the government and defeat the government, although those who see that opportunity say that elections have always been rigged, and it seems there are no prerequisites that the election will not be rigged again, although there is some hope that as a result of pressure, it may not be rigged. One should closely follow the election campaign and the whole electoral process. In my opinion, one of the main subjects during the campaigns of all candidates will be the attitude toward the election – to participate or not, to boycott or not, what one can achieve by participating…. This is an interesting situation for society in terms of reconsideration,” our interlocutor explained.
The expert is sure that the team led by S. Sargsyan will try to show that they are reformers, they pursue a balanced policy, that they have already offered an opportunity to conduct a more positive campaign and will try to convince society that all the other candidates are not serious rivals.
Serzh Sargsyan considers Raffi Hovhannisyan, Hrant Bagratyan, and Paruyr Hayrikyan as serious rivals; as a result, the government will achieve one task, about which the president talked in the same interview – we will be able to conduct such an election, because conducting such an election is first of all in our interest, then in our colleagues’ interest. We asked Edgar Vardanyan whether the government would not achieve that task. Our interlocutor said: “No, it will not achieve that task, because it is one thing to try to present
the election as democratic; whether it really is democratic or not is another matter. Pointing out a series of factors, one can say that the election is not democratic. The task is different; as far as individual elements are considered, it may be better organized than the previous elections, and pointing out those individual elements, the government will try to show that the election is generally better. Actually it is a manipulation.”
We asked Edgar Vardanyan whether society would not be “manipulated” and perceive this election as really better, than the previous ones. “A part of society may be manipulated, but it depends on the opposition elite’s general behavior. The task of the opposition elite, the oppositionists should be not to allow that manipulation.”
Three parliamentary forces haven’t participated in the election; if they take on a task to challenge the results of the presidential election, won’t a part of society also consider their position as “manipulation,” in the sense that if the political forces haven’t participated in the election campaign, haven’t challenged the government, it seems not right that those who have withdrawn from the election take an opposition attitude, organize a protest after the election?
“Here they really are in an awkward position, because society will try to understand where they are, after all. In this sense, this or that statement made by them may really not be trusted by society,” Edgar Vardanyan noted. However, according to him, it is not important; the important thing is that regardless of whether they participate in the election or not, or how they participate, all those who realize that “the regime manipulates” society, who realize that Armenia is not a democratic country, and the government doesn’t long for establishing democracy should speak up about that, should take steps, should put the system under pressure, i.e. organize themselves and form a movement. “So everything depends on what the democratic part of society wants; this part has a task, this part has to work, and that work should consist of two elements. First element is to show society the government’s manipulation and not allow society to be manipulated. The next thing is to organize oneself and organize powerful pressure to achieve radical changes in the short run, form a new democratic movement and achieve serious systemic changes. If it is not done, naturally, the government will be reproduced, and this situation will constantly be reproduced. The government can make only cosmetic changes, and its only concern is that the international community gives some positive assessments of elections, because they need resources and expect a certain amount of money from the West. This is the government’s plan; they expect those assessments from the West,” Edgar Vardanyan underlined.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
Aravot Daily
