The concept paper of the constitutional amendments will be published soon, and it will be another opportunity for the opposition to talk about the “reproduction”. These talks in itself are “reproduction”, because both in 1995 and in 2005, in other words, when adopting the Constitution and its amendments, this word has been sounded. In 1995, people were saying that Levon Ter-Petrosyan wants to define royal powers for him, and in 2005 – Robert Kocharyan wants to be elected for the third term. Now (quite seriously, without humor) people say that Serzh Sargsyan wants to become the Speaker of the National Assembly and thus lead the country.
Neither the presidents nor the texts of the Constitution, certainly, are not and will not be ideal. The matter is about something else. If you undertake the same actions, then do not wait for getting different outcomes. This is a classical truth, a golden rule that can be applied in everyday life, business and politics. If you’re saying that the text of the Constitution is unacceptable, it cannot be a subject of discussion at all, because you do not like this or that leader, then you dispose the electorates and the citizens to indifference, apathy and nihilism: “again, they want to play a malicious trick on us”. And people are disposed of not to fighting and saying “no” as the opposition expects, but vice versa, not to participate in the referendum at all. And this is what the government wants as you understand.
Generally, the mistrust that the government, the opposition and, let’s admit, we, the journalists, instill in the public over 25 years is a two-edged weapon. When we say, do not believe anyone apart from me, then a logical question arises: why we should believe just you, how you are better than others. Therefore, it’s worth drawing not the problem of individuals’ but the ideas, which you should or should not believe.
I, for instance, am against the idea of a parliamentary system in Armenia, because it assumes a certain degree of maturity of political parties, the electoral system and the civil society. Now, let us honestly say which of the political parties in Armenia looks like a party, which voting will give preference to this or that political ideology under this dire social conditions. Yes, in recent years, we have made a progress in civil society, but this is still not enough, although we can cherish some hope with it.
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As for the reproduction, then it is clear that the government authorities, like in the rest of the world, want to be reproduced, and the opposition wants to take its place. But it has nothing to do with the constitutional amendments.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
