Representative of older generation know where the word “Bolshevik” comes from. In 1903, a majority and a minority were formed at the Russian Social-Democrats Congress in Brussels, later in London. The first began to dictate its will, allegedly on the basis of a democratic process. Later, the word “Bolshevik” became the synonym for tyranny and intolerance.
Indeed, the minority seems to abide by the decisions of the majority. However, if the minority does not have any leverages to exert influence, let’s say, on the decisions of the Parliament, the latter would pass laws that are beneficial to the majority, as it particularly occurs in Armenia. The oppositions may hold critical speeches, castigate, scream, complain, all of these have no sense; the decision of the majority would be achieved during the voting.
In the whole history of the National Assembly, since 1995, there has not been a single case that the majority of ruling party could not pass what it wanted. No argument from the opposition, no request, no intimidation (“we would stand before the righteous judgment of the people”, “future generations would not forgive you”), no call (“we appeal to your conscience”) has affected, and, probably, would not. At the moment of voting, the head of the majority faction “collects” his deputies, more than half of which had not only missed reading the law, but do not know what the matter is about, their job is just to press the button, and the entire “moral pressure” of the opposition vanishes: the “decision is made.”
It is clear, however, that eventually the Parliament should pass this-or-that bill, and other mechanism than making such decision by the majority of votes does not exist. Therefore, to overcome the above-described situation, we must see in other “related” solutions. Apparently, it is possible to find if not legal then “actual” means that the President, the government and the parliament would not be from the same party.
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All solutions must be based on the fact that the representatives of parliamentarian majority are elected by the citizens, and not by buying their mandates. Probably, we should also increase the role of the Public Council so that half of its members are nominated by the President, the other half by the parliamentarian minority, and the President shall be from the second half, and the PC would not only come up with legislative initiatives, but also provide its independent expert conclusions to all bills.
However, all of these is not possible without serious public pressure. Let’s remember, after all, in 1988s, the communists were constituting the vast majority, however, ANM’s bills were passed.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
