Surely, it was a great surprise both for the government and the opposition that without the guidance of political leaders, without pre-designed activities, our public can come out to the street on social matters. For both the authorities and the opposition, surely it was a great surprise to reveal that the political leaders guiding and without pre-designed activities, our public can go out to the street on social matters.
Most shockingly that on June 23, in the morning, after the law enforcements’ inadequate behavior, “cleaning” Baghramyan Avenue by use of force and individual brutality against тхе journalists, the next day more people go out to the streets.
The government authorities realized that they would not achieve anything by the use of force. The denial of the offer presented through the police to meet with Serzh Sargsyan was not an exact calculation by the coordinators of the protest action, especially since they did not have an action plan.
In any case, when thousands of people come out to the streets, the possibility of a mutually acceptable agreement with the government authorities on any advanced demand cannot be ruled out. All “fundamental” forces of Armenia have negotiated with the current authorities and still continue negotiating, and if in this context, the delegates of the protest action could be qualified “traitors” by the protest participants for going to Serzh Sargsyan’s residential office, then on the background of the possible agreement, it would not be essential.
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The events of these days held in Yerevan are analyzed in the context of various credible and incredible hypotheses. But one thing is a fact: our society can stand up, can display a civic will, and this is a positive fact. The authorities need to reckon with this reality first of all. And the more apolitical is the movement, the better.
As for the excitement and temptation of the political forces and their supporters to “conducting”, it is also understandable. But the matter is that the more society is unhappy with the government authorities’ operations, the more they are unhappy with those who consider themselves an opposition, who by their long-run “accurate” political calculations and analyzes, after braking the powerful political spirit, do not have the courage to question their own “unmistakability” and always have explanations about why it did not work, and there are always “guilty” as to why the next brilliant scenario to “dismantle” the government pyramid was a failure.
Many people nowadays may have the desire to guide and lead the social activism, both the political forces, various civic groups, the ones who post witty statuses on the Facebook, those who constantly beat the drums during various protests, and the ones who love to speak into the microphone.
This primarily comes to prove the fact that all “interested” parties will have to reckon with the social factor who may not always agree with them. This, in its turn, means that the civil movement in Armenia has great chances to become strong and a factor. The civil movements can contain romantic revolutionaries and Anarchists, disciplined people, and people with various levels of education, but all of them are citizens of the Republic of Armenia.
Importantly that the authorities do not lose their vigilance. What’s more that joining the Eurasian Union, our state has appeared among the countries, where there are no democratic regimes, and a couple of stumbles inside, Armenia would be completely isolated from the civilized world.
The most interesting part in the events of the past few days, however, are the publications in the Russian press containing shades of fright. Many in Armenia have not yet managed to analyze and understand about when, how, and why the Russian press already has the stock absurd explanations.
It has reached the point that the protests rising from the electricity price hike incurred from the demand of the Russian company in Armenia are qualified as a “Maidan” manifestation, even the new “energy-Maidan” name is in circulation. On the morning of June 23, after the “clearing” operation of the peaceful demonstrators from Baghramyan Avenue, the OPT declared with a special enthusiasm, «В Ереване власти установили порядок» (The authorities in Yerevan established discipline).
It is certainly most advantageous for Moscow to see the State Department’s “ears” behind the public protest actions complaining of the ENA company owned by the Интер РАО ЕЭС Russian company. But these Russian propaganda tricks have become so worn-out and ridiculous that it seems that even they do not believe in their presented nonsenses. And if they do believe, then it remains to recommend Bibin and his leadership to step back from the presented demands, review the decision on electricity price hike, and then the Armenian society, perhaps, will be filled with ardent love towards Bibin and his headed company.
Emma GABRIELYAN, “Aravot” daily
