They have nothing to lose besides their faces

22/05/2012 Lilit AVAGYAN

In Armenia nothing and especially government is not changed through elections. But elections change people and the political parties. It is evident that the voters do not show any highlighted interest to political parties. The votes given by the constituents are not used by these parties to protect the interests of their voters but used for political bargaining and for raising their own values. For example, the actual number of suppers wasn’t that essential for the RPA. If you wish, this party has basically given some treatment to the voters in the form of bribes. Besides that, the party has taken care of the transportation of the voters – by taking them to the polling stations from their homes. Let’s be honest, the RPA didn’t even have to bother that much. Ultimately, this party, together with the National Statistics Service, has the opportunity to show any number they wish, even demographic data. And as we witnessed it was no problem to show the numbers that would be enough for the RPA and the rest of the parties. The party stated that the there are 2 million 486,000 voters in Armenia, and according to them the majority likes the RPA. And only the RPA can allow itself draw these results. The rest of the ruling parties, e.g. the PAP also received impressive results – over 400,000 votes. By the way, unlike the RPA votes, the analysts claim that these were real votes. A part of the voters confidently voted for the PAP knowing that they are voting against Serzh Sargsyan. A part of them has really voted for the PAP as a sign for the appreciation for the election bribes. Even the housewives know that the ones that voted for the PAP have automatically voted for the RPA and for endorsing the candidacy of Serzh Sargsyan during the upcoming presidential elections. But the parties of the opposition participating in elections claim that this couldn’t have been known during the elections. The ANC, ARF and PAP also confused the voters by establishing a joint election oversight committee. The problem is that the weight of 400,000 voters in our society is really light. It is so light that cannot make the leader of the PAP abstain from his decision to join the ruling coalition. It means that the votes of the people don’t even create moral obligations. At any rate, for the PAP these votes have become a real burden rather than something to be proud of. Similarly, the leaders of the Republic and Liberal Democratic Parties think that the actions of the ANC are not right and that the Congress should put down its seven mandates. The ANC however, claims that it doesn’t understand the logic of the parties. They even have some covert doubts that by deflecting from the Congress these parties may join some other parties or blocs. They also have doubts that these parties may endorse Raffi Hovhannisian during the presidential elections. And the candidacy of the Heritage leader is more acceptable in the ANC than Kocharyan’s or Sargsyan’s.  

People who have been struggling against the criminal authorities and for justice have started to dislike each other and criticize in public. The other political powers being in the opposition front do not have a certain policy either. The complex that by taking the mandates they are making the government legitimate will go away soon as they go in the parliament. It is very interesting to look at the comments of parties why their pre-election promises and post-election announcements are so different. This could be best explained by the Legal State’s leader, who may say that this is required by the state interests. Now the state interests want the RPA to embrace the PA and LS. As the PA representatives allege, it doesn’t matter for them if they have a couple of more or fewer portfolios. Only the need to make changes in the country may make one join a disliked coalition. This is the notion with which the other parties are going to the parliament too. This is what the state interests require…