Recently, “Hetq” has published interesting statistical data by which particularly the average age of the candidates running for the parliament becomes known. These data reveal that the “Yelq” and “Free Democrats” have the youngest participants in the electoral process where the average age of women and girls is under aged 40, and a little higher from this threshold for the men. Certainly, there are young people in other parties and alliances too. I do not know how it works for others but it is more pleasant for me to interview and generally to communicate with the politicians of that age. Their views and perception of the reality are fresh, the “post-Soviet complexes” do not obstruct them, the criticism is harsh but is devoid of populist blasphemy and apocalyptic images (“the country is destroying”, “if the power is reproduced this time too, then …”).
The young people with whom I communicate are sufficiently educated to understand that irrespective of the findings of the elections, the system that exists today will not be reproduced completely. And vice versa, mostly my peers approach me with the following question, “who will be the king: Serzh or Gago?” Only the ARF has taken on the burden to explain that there will be no “king” in any case. The political forces participating in the elections are deliberately not explaining the features of the parliamentary system to the people because it is easy to do so. The campaign, in this case, is based on the contrast of “good” and “bad” kings, princes and village elders.
Generally, I think the biggest misfortune of the vast majority of our society is the ignorance and the lack of education. The Soviet school was giving us knowledge from different spheres but was keeping us in darkness in the most important and principled issues: what is the meaning of a state and citizen, and how this citizen should form a government, which is his responsibility in this matter. Such things are also not taught in the independent Armenian schools. Life teaches, and after the “electric Yerevan” and especially the four-day war, I have the impression that our children’s generation is already ready to live with completely different rules, in a different country.
The old and “arshak sadoyan-type” clichés are still heard. But I think that they are heard for the last time.
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Aram ABRAHAMYAN
