SDHP Chairman Narek Galstyan about the tradition of “beating a person in mask” and “declaring one or two needles or toothbrushes more”
– On Saturday, the incident happened in Berdzor between the Founding Parliament of Artsakh and the NKR police during the automobile march was differently interpreted. In your estimation, what happened and why?
– Frankly speaking, the question here should be divided into two parts. What happened in Berdzor is definitely condemnable. I have seen the footage posted on the internet. They were beating with special severity, broking the car windows. As I understood, there were also cameramen from Artsakh, let them present their understanding of the events. But, anyway, likewise treating unarmed and peaceful people does not fit in the conscience, the law, nor in our understanding of political logic.
Here, however, there is a second important factor. For us, the style of the Founder Parliament’s actions, the logic of moves have never been acceptable. Now, they are talking about the “regime change” on April 24. On the day of the Centennial of the Genocide, if a single Armenia’s nose bleeds in the city center, we will decry our Cause in front of the whole world. It is clear that in these days, the whole world’s attention will be concentrated on Yerevan. Moreover, the logic of going out of Yerevan and holding a demonstration in Artsakh is not acceptable. Artsakh has a plenty of problems apart from going out of Yerevan and holding a demonstration there. The border is a few kilometers away, every day subversive acts are taking place, so why it is necessary to involve Artsakh in domestic political matters. Absolutely, not.
– Recently, the beating of civil activists and politicians often manifests as an attitude. Isn’t the time actually a passed phase for us?
– You are right, lately, regular physical settlement of accounts are taking place. After Robert Kocharyan’s tenure, such phenomena were not find in our political and social life, which, indeed, was welcomed. In recent months, the occurrences are beyond the logic in general. There is no other disgracing and more villainous phenomenon than beating a person in a mask. In 2007, I was attacked in the same sneaky style, but perhaps a few times cruel. You know, somehow I will understand that if someone curses him on the Internet, you shall go and openly settle account with him.
In many cases, they go beyond the red line, involve families, which is no way perceivable. But in contrast to it, the attacks in masks do not also particularly shine by their honesty. At the same time, taken objectively, there are thousands of problems in our country. What does it mean, should there be no oligarchy in Armenia after making the civil activists silent? Should the monopolies be eliminated? Should the corruption in the public-sector stop ruling as a cornerstone of building public relations? Of course, not. These are our country’s real problems, these are the challenges before the authorities and the whole public, rather than the Facebook users.
– You have repeatedly announced that SDHP party will act from the interests of small and medium-sized businesses. It has been several months since the RA Law on “Turnover tax” has made hundreds of people to come out to the street, the talks with the government are underway, but there is no final solution. Whom does the SDHP support?
– One gets the impression that a class struggle has begun in Armenia against all small and medium-sized businesses. It seems we are back to the 20’s of the 20th century, when the USSR as viewed as a “hostile” class to all people who had more than two chicken. Under this difficult social situation, the SDHP party believes that it would be much righteous for the government to be focused on bringing the oligarchy to the taxation field. After that, everything will be regulated. Or else, by declaring one or two needles or toothbrushes more, you would only make the social severity further deep. SDHP Party shares the concerns of SME representatives, support their claims, but our representatives do not participate in their rallies only for one reason – no need to politicize people’s legitimate social requirements.
Interviewed by Nelly GRIGORYAN
