Opposition politicians in Armenia have always had one problem; they would forget about the main target of the struggle and would start to struggle against each other. Let’s say, you think that becoming the President of Armenia, you will eliminate emigration, corruption, increase people’s wages and pensions tenfold or hundredfold, as well as establish democracy and justice. Therefore, all your blows should be against the incumbent president. Lo and behold, more than half of the blows are against the other aspirants who have the same goals.
And it turns out that those people’s energy is spent on suspecting one another, responding to criticism of one another, and unmasking each other, so to speak. An excuse for such a “local war” was Paruyr Hayrikyan’s decision not to file a petition in the Constitutional Court to postpone the election for two weeks. What anyone would have benefitted during those two weeks is not clear. However, it is a good opportunity to show that one really is a “radical oppositionist” and to reveal Hayrikyan’s “deal with the government.”
Along with bashing Hayrikyan for not postponing the election, it seems that the purpose of the election itself is being distorted. Andrias Ghukasyan’s representative doesn’t rule out that the candidate’s hunger strike may become an insurmountable obstacle to the election campaign. Another candidate for president, Vardan Sedrakyan – probably, half in jest – says that he can also put an insurmountable obstacle in the way of his election campaign. He will burn his car outside a supermarket and then blame Russian or American imperialists for that. According to the candidate who is an expert in epic poems, his car is more valuable than Paruyr Hayrikyan. First of all, I think the life of even the most worthless, most monstrous man is more valuable than the most expensive car in the world. Secondly, the opposition’s goal should be, as far as I can tell, not to postpone or even disrupt the election, but victory and state-building based on their own ideas and principles. The other actions are light entertainment, so to speak.
It is clear already who will be “Cheburashkas” in this election – those are “milkers” who make passionate speeches during Serzh Sargsyan’s campaign meetings. It gradually becomes clear who are playing the role of Shapoklyak in this election.
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ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
