Karen Karapetyan’s “Hamlet” question
The Government of Armenia decided to come up with a new face. But what happened to its “traditional” face that gave birth to this decision. Everything is “developing and growing”, wasn’t it? Even Putin was “jealous” of us, publicly pointing to Serzh Sargsyan how Armenia’s GDP has increased by two points under the “wonderful” conditions of the Eurasian Economic Union, and Serzh Sargsyan confirms that by some indicators, yes, have been improved…Perhaps, it would be more logical if the previous government and prime minister would remain to further develop-advance-expand etc. and in the upcoming elections, which as the authorities promised, under free and fair competition, the public satisfied with and grateful to the authorities would give their votes to the current government. But …no, something, however, it is not right, to say the least. Putin is not objected in Russia for a long time, and the State Duma is not “a place for debating” to remind him of Bill Clinton’s one of the main pre-election mottos in 1996: It’s the economy, stupid. However, let is leave the political and economic problems of Russians up to them.
While Armenia’s economic indicators persistently show that yes, to say the least, not only something is not right, but we are dealing with the free fall of the economy. The reasons are well known: fundamentally wrong and flawed foreign policy decisions that have led to the loss of sovereignty, “incestuous” coalescence of politics and business (characterized by George Soros), total corruption, monopolies, let’s stop listing the rest… And in general, the last thing, which Karen Karapetyan who is “five minutes” close to becoming a Prime Minister needs is to be prompted thru media what he should and should not do. He definitely knows about it as much as the media knows, he also knows how to do what must be done, and what must not be done.
Karen Karapetyan after leaving the position of Yerevan mayor unexpectedly and without any explanation preferred to hold offices in companies which “unfortunately” are currently holding “honorable places” in the list of US sanctions, both “Mezhregiongas” and “Gazprombank” along with its Armenian branch. Consequently, who’s who but Karen Karapetyan personally witnessed what leads the impermissible intervention of the “stupid” mentioned in Clinton’s motto to the activities of companies and generally, the economic system. And most importantly, he witnessed how the country becomes rejected by the international community because of the irresponsible political conduct of these “stupid” penetrated to the politics and cause political paralysis by depriving the country of the future. He also witnessed how and why the gas pipeline coming from Iran “became thin” while his headed Armenian-Russian company became a Russian company and turned into an obstruction on the way of Armenia’s future.
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Certainly, Karen Karapetyan knows very well what is actually going on in the economy of Russia, and he also has a very good knowledge of what will happen to Armenia if the new government continues to “expand-deepen-develop” its ties with such an economy. Working for the “Gasprom” system in Armenia and in Russia and in its affiliated companies for many years, Karen Karapetyan has acquired the reputation of a “Gazprom man”. However, no matter it is so, it is clear that this is an impasse, and hardly Karen Karapetyan has left his post in Russia with great regret and returned to Armenia to assume the position of a prime minister, which is a political position endowed with “heavy seal” and serious powers.
Let’s leave the pre-election context aside, which is certainly a priority in the decision of government change. And no need to be surprised when the local TV begins demonstrating the virtues of the new government with new enthusiasm, it will also go away and would dissolve in the pre-election turmoil. And let the elected ones think about it. It’s not even interesting. Most importantly is the aspect of the content: what the new government intends to do along with its new leader. Certainly, it is clear that talking about people’s mandate or even “national accord” simply does not make sense as the require procedure if the form of elections, as we know, is missing. And certainly, it does not worth even trying to present this move as a “government of national accord” promised in August. Consequently, the new government will operate in the “corridor” of political decision, which the current government has or will define. But where does this “corridor” take us?
It is clear that it will not be possible to take the economy out of the deadlock unless there is a re-orientation towards the West and South, i.e. Georgia-West and Iran, by taking Armenia out of direct risks coming from Russia’s collapsing economy. It is also clear why it has not happened so far. It is clear that it just requires breaking all monopolies thru directives, starting first of all from the monopolies of Russian state companies, from the monopolies of companies that are interlocked with these infamous poorly managed and sanctioned RF authorities and Russian criminal, who are just squeezing Armenia. It is also necessary to differentiate the business from the politics in the same directive way, to restrain the appetite of the officials and the “big ones” and open the oxygen for the small and medium businesses, to modernize tax and customs administration by filtering them from “Eurasian” dirty practices and so on.
Whether this “corridor” leads these monopolies to dismantlement, in which Karen Karapetyan and his headed government operate. And consequently, whether Karen Karapetyan’s government is the government, which will connect the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea thru Armenia, will sign respective agreements with Georgia, Iran and the European Union, will establish Armenia-US economic ties and fill them with content, about which the American officials have repeatedly mentioned in the open text.
Or Karen Karapetyan is given the “corridor”, in the range of which he must further “develop-deepen-expand” Armenia’s “integration” before the EaEU, in the framework of very dear commitments by Edward Nalbandian, irrespective of whether he will remain in the post of foreign minister or not. Maybe the new government is to “change something so that nothing is changed”, while the oligarchs and corrupt, as well as criminalized “beast-lizards” continue to live by the principle of “everything to happen in our country but nothing happens to us for it.”
In October 2011, most apparently, this kind of “task” was set forth before Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan, which broke his “drive” and he quit holding the office of a mayor. However, in 2016, the conventional “Gazprom” no longer exists where he will find the perspective for the future. Everything has been changed beyond recognition. And it is here that the stakes are growing many-fold. It is here when the honorableness of the political figure, contrary to his “house-keeping” traditional approach, can lead to a positive outcome. While the choice is not big. As it was accepted in the Caucasus, according to the popular movie, “either to the civil status registration office or to the prosecutor’s office”, in this case, whether or not a political position assumed Karen Karapetyan be a political figure. Only Karen Karapetyan, personally himself, has the answer to this “Hamlet” question in the political sense. And the history will record: whether we, on behalf of the new government, were dealing with short-lasting “Eurasian silicon”, or radical systemic changes actually began in Armenia.
Ruben MEHRABYAN,
Photo from Banks.am
