Yesterday, the word “lustration” was reiterated in the Parliament. Unlike the vast majority of politicians, commentators and Facebook users, I do not have an ultimate truth seeking opinion on this as well as on many other matters. Is it necessary to conduct lustration in Armenia or not? Is it the time or it is already late? I have my doubts both in the case of “yes” and “no”. How deep should this problem “go through”? Cooperation with whom is it considered a “sin” (the “KGB”? The Communist Party?)? What is the punishment for it? Which offices become “inaccessible” in the case of cooperation? Will the lustration not become a tool to settle personal or political accounts? After all, if it were done at the beginning of the 90s, would it have an effect of certain “cleansing”? And what about in late 2016 … I do not know.
I can also bring arguments for “pro”. Ultimately, we did not give a definite and unequivocal assessment of all evil, to the wrongful and godless system that existed in our region for 70 years. We did not give a chance to our fellow citizens that acted against their conscience then, repented and built a life with new principles. Maybe this is one of the reasons why the social life in Armenia is built on the old principles, the significant part of our citizens are still waiting for the “papas” who would ensure a happy and prosperous life for them, the authorities believe that their office is to receive pleasures from the life, and finally, the congresses of the political parties (especially, the ruling party) are reminiscent of the CPSU congresses of the “stagnation” period.
These are fundamental issues which are worth thinking about. Only the one that was discussed in the Parliament yesterday had nothing to do with lustration in particular. Zaruhi Postanjyan had offered this bill to say something bad about the current authorities (it seems there are no other reasons), and the Republicans present in the discussion were doing everything that these “bad-bad” words are not pronounced.
In general, I often read texts where the word “lustration” is understood as a “political cleansing”. For example, “the one who is against the armed attack on the police regiment reveals his face, what a bad lustration.” Or, “the one who doubts that all the moves by the leader of our party are great he throws off his mask, here is your natural lustration”. These “cleansings” or perhaps blackmails are in contrary to the “lustration” concept whose meaning as far as I understand is to abandon the Bolshevik legacy rather than acting by the Bolshevik spirit.
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Moreover, it seems to me no lustration is possible without understanding and forgiveness.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
