According to Ruben Mehrabyan, expert of “Center for Political and International Studies”, Ukraine events show that the self-organized civic potential can turn into a serious political factor
– Mr. Mehrabyan, recently, unfortunate events taking place in Ukraine is often pointed out, and attempts are made to justify Armenia’s choice made on September 3, in the sense that here see what is happening in Ukraine, but we are a small country, could we choose a different way… ? Are there any grains of truth in such comments?
– Of course, no, there is no gain in such comments, nor, particularly, the truth. Today, Ukrainian people create a free Ukraine, its modern history, becoming a beacon of freedom not only for the post-Soviet states, including Armenia, but also for Russia. Of course, this process is accompanied by painful events: the authorities have unleashed massive violence and bloodshed, people coming out to peaceful protest are killed. They have become the heroes of the Resistance Movement, whose name will be used to name the streets and squares. But, 20-year-old Sergey Nigoyan, who was deceased in Euromaidan, in Kiev, forever united Fighting Armenia and Fighting Ukraine with brotherhood ties. Criminal-oligarchic, corrupt, anti-civilization regime “Black international” that was formed almost throughout the entire territory of the former USSR headed by Putin’s regime and sponsorship, it is clear that no discrimination will be put into the resources, nor the country, no matter it is Ukraine, or Armenia, or elsewhere. We were the witnesses of it in Yerevan, on March 1st, and we are witnessing today, when in Kiev, as well as in Armenia in 2008, the government unleashed the police and criminal terror resulting in the death of civilians. It is the same handwriting, they are authorities driven by the same “values”, which are openly sponsored and “inspired” by “spiritual fathers” of the Kremlin. Simply, the realities in Armenia and Ukraine are different due to regional peculiarities. The most important amongst them: Ukraine does not have Karabakh conflict and Ukraine has a direct border with the United Europe. And , as for the claim that Armenia’s September 3 decision was “inevitable”, especially as justification bringing developments in Ukraine, then it does not stand any test. In the process of four years, Armenia was negotiating with the EU, and the authorities had time and opportunity to conduct internal reforms. In the meantime, the government was busy with imitation, deception, and self-delusion. The opposition, in turn, turning the EU Association Agreement into a trump card not only could, but also should compel the authorities to go for real changes. It should definitely to put pressure on the government in some issues, like elimination of monopolies, separation of business and politics, ensuring real independence of the judiciary, tax and customs liberalization for the benefit of small and medium-sized businesses, and so on. In fact, in the background of government imitation, the very opposition was obliged to explain to the citizens that the European idea, which is also the idea of Liberty, Rights and the Law, is the pathway with no alternative, which also provides well-being to Armenia with no raw materials and landlocked, that there is no well-being without freedom. Instead, we saw a persistent endeavor to cooperate with more “named” oligarchs, with some dubious Russian circles. In fact, the European idea remained politically “ownerless”, except for a few number of parties. And, the Armenian opposition, generally, appeared more puppet than even the authorities, whose “merits” have long been well-known to us. So, there could not be any excuse or explanation to this cowardly, degrading and dangerous move of September 3.
– In the government session, last week, the Action Plan on Armenian accession to the Customs Union and to the Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia’s common economic area was approved: the schedule for implementation of the “road map”. The authorities stated that only one or two days of work of technical issues and accurate translation is left to bring everything to the end. Is it justified in keeping the document secret from the community, given the fact that there was no lack of people requiring the EU Association Agreement made public?
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– The decision of Armenian authorities to join this “Customs Union” called tyranny alliance, does not have anything to do with real interests of the Republic of Armenia, and our citizens, but also directly contradicts them. And making the “road map” of this infamous process public, of course, is not so easy and a pleasant thing to do. Maybe, it will be made public, and it will be a bureaucratic, nothing containing document that will conceal this, in fact, loss of sovereignty, national humiliation, “Anschluss” process, simply by serving as a smokescreen. Those demanding publication of the EU Agreement, yes, are silent now, they no longer demand neither this nor the publication of CU accession documents. Moreover, the present silence is like a “conspiracy of silence” under which this capitulation occurs, by the principle of “Sovereignty for preservation of power”. And, frothy, non-binding and, in fact, harmless calls of some opposition circles regarding resignation of Serzh Sargsyan and Tigran Sargsyan (it seems they also were thrilled and left after it) transfer necessary dose and background of the scene required for this process.
– Since January 2014, the amendments in RF laws on entry and stay of foreign citizens entered into effect. Under the new, stricter procedures, foreign citizens have the right to stay in Russia at no more than 3 months, 90 days, after which they must leave the country. In your opinion, how much is this consistent with the goals periodically voiced by Russian authorities about the Eurasian integration?
– Of course, this is a positive trend. Naturally, this new procedure is contrary to the so-called “Eurasian integration” logic. Not only the wave of anti-migrant sentiments are increased among Russians, which is quite understandable, but also many Russians rightly accuse the authorities due to corruption reasons for encouraging this multimillion “flood” of immigrants. All this is accompanied by the most ugly variations and lead the country to fascistization. Hence, the Kremlin imperialists can not ignore this reality. On the other hand, this is also a positive trend in terms of Armenia. The Armenian, expropriated by the oligarchy, and having a bread and butter issue would seriously think of whether to stay in the homeland, fight as a citizen for the sake of freedom and rights of his and his children, or to be guided by the advice of the Prime Minister to catch the road of migration to avoid the “revolution”.
– On January 24, the Constitutional Court decided to suspend the action of Article 76 and clause 3 of Article 86 of the Law on “Funded Pensions” until the end of the trial on constitutionality of the law. Is this a concession by the authorities? Did the fight of the public sector produce its results, or the authorities just temporarily are doing such a step back?
– Of course, this is a concession by the authorities. The unprecedented mass rally held on January 18, which I am sure, is not the last, forced the authorities to step back. However, this is a temporary concession, and the authorities, as well as during the “100 dram” movement, rebounding, will wait for the right opportunity to nevertheless “concede from underneath” this ill-fated law. No need to lose vigilance, to increase pressure, and continue to disallow various political groups trying to exploit this brilliant movement for their narrow partisan goals. In addition, this movement showed how important the self-organization of citizens, the increase in potential of lawful, peaceful, and massive fight is. Ukrainian events show that the self-organized civil potential can be turned into a serious political factor, which can only in this way compel the authorities and the opposition to reckon with their interests, to exclude their shady deals at the expense of its interests and the future, prolonging the existence of criminal-oligarchic existence, which we have witnessed in Armenia several years ago, and serve their own citizens, and not to be engaged in, let’s say, “and-and” imitation jugglery or “political analysis”, which inevitably end in inglorious conclusion. We, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, are obliged to learn these lessons, and we have no other way. Only self-organized citizens are capable to change the policy: both domestic and foreign, for the benefit of their interests. This is the only way we can qualify for a truly free and independent Armenia.
Emma GABRIELYAN
