Taxi drivers have been working “disgusted” for a long time. They’re disgusted because all passengers talk about are the National Assembly elections; everyone calls on trusting their candidates and suggest favoring this or that political party. “The elections are a pain and there is no tranquilizer,” joked one of the taxi drivers. We continue the interviews with taxi drivers and this time the topic is women’s participation in the upcoming elections.
Commission president/disappointed taxi driver
Driver Vardan doesn’t care about the sex of the government official; he cares more about the honesty and values of a person. While driving he points at a female driver and says: “If women drive these kinds of Jeeps, then they will govern the country too. The number of votes is already figured out and whichever woman must come to power already has. During the previous elections, I was appointed head of a precinct commission for the Communist Party. I have seen what has happened with my own two eyes and have personally taken part in the process.” I ask him: “What mechanisms were used when falsifying the ballots?” He replies: “The precinct can never falsify; they bring the wrong data from the precinct where they vote. It is impossible to falsify the ballots at the precinct because they bring the data closed and take it closed. We only say what we have received, or the Central Electoral Commission announces whatever number it wants. Who can go and check?”
Vardan, who has participated in both the parliamentary and presidential elections of Armenia, is very disappointed and is certain that no matter what, for some the preferable candidates have already been elected, but the voters shouldn’t believe the guarantees of the officials saying that they will do everything they can to conduct fair elections. “The opposition is clear and and can not be impure because it has nothing under its control. It is the same as catching the criminal, the thief and the homeless robbing a bank. Who robbed the bank? It’s obvious that it was the thief. In any case, I will go to the elections; fulfill my civil duty, assured that my voice won’t count. But I feel very pressured because the elections are falsified; the people who don’t deserve anything come to power, while I work as a taxi driver when I have graduated with a bachelor’s degree. I have graduated from the Polytechnic University and I am an engineer/mechanic by profession. I am telling you right now-somewhere it’s written that “Bargavach” will get this many seats, the “Hanrapetakan” (Republican) will get this many seats and they have told the Central Electoral Commission president to read their given numbers. During the last elections, Stepan Demirchyan passed with 150%, while Geghamyan came in second. I saw it with my own two eyes, but didn’t know where Kocharyan placed. There were no elections in 1996, in 1998 or 2003. The deceased Demirchyan was elected in 1998, but what happened? I am amazed to hear that there are still people who believe in fair elections. Perhaps in a 100 years, but not now. They also lie when they keep spreading the word about the international observers. Those observers don’t know us Armenians and their presence is simply formal. They will simply record any event that takes place, but they don’t know about the falsifications. Who can tell them not to falsify? If you talk a lot, they will just throw you in the car, take you somewhere and kill you.”
Driver Sako (he asked me not to call him Sargis) is unsatisfied with the politics led by the current authorities, however he is tired of the opposition too. “Why are they picking on the authorities when they aren’t even doing anything? When that Geghamyan starts talking, I want to tell him to stop. He has been in politics ever since the Communists and things are going to be worse if he comes to power. Demirchyan’s son-at least you know that he has been around, has seen many things but what does he have to offer? What about Arthur Baghdasaryan? He’s sitting and waiting to get the OK from America and Russia. Why didn’t he speak out when he was part of the authorities? Was he feeling good in his position…? I don’t know, when the day comes I will think about who to vote for. To tell you the truth, we are sick and tired of it.”
The unemployed are oppositional?
“You too…? We always talk about good topics-life, values, morals. You picked a hard topic this time,” says one of the taxi drivers surprised to hear my question. “These days everyone is talking about politics; I am tired of it, you know? You go out for a breath of fresh air and you see a group of men sitting around and talking about politics; they say stupid things. I get really angry when someone doesn’t know anything but talks like an orator. Armenians have turned into politicians, everyone is talking about politics, they praise, criticize, curse. There is such a group of politicians living in our building; they have nothing to do and talk about politics the whole day. You look at their children-they have nothing to wear and think to yourself: instead of talking that much nonsense, it would be better if you got out there, worked and raised your family. It will be good for our country (the person doing nothing will have something to do) and they will actually do something instead of talking,” says driver Gurgen. He is angry.
“I have noticed something: Armenian men criticize the authorities and each man considers himself the good guy. There’s this guy in our building. Each time you see him he is standing by the building entrance, waiting for someone like him to show off his “knowledge”. One day I couldn’t stand it and said ‘listen, isn’t it better if you go to work instead of talking big and considering yourself a politician? You have been unemployed ever since I met you. I tell him what can the political activist do if you don’t like to work and live poor? He tells me there is nowhere to work, where can I work? I tell him that I have graduated from university, but I go along with people’s sympathy day and night driving a taxi to raise my family. Are you better than me? Go to a construction site, bake bread, or drive a taxi. In a word, I couldn’t take it anymore and we got into a debate. Now when he sees me he tells his other friend that I am pro-government. So, whoever works and raises a family is pro-government, but the unemployed person like him is oppositionist who just has to curse the situation this country is in.” In reference to the topic, Gurgen pinpoints the current female government officials: “Hermine Naghdalyan, Hranush Hakobyan, Emma Khudabashyan and Heghine Bisharyan. I know all of them, but I just recently began seeing their faces because I didn’t watch television that much to see them debate on this or that issue. During the last Q&A, H. Bisharyan from “Orinats Yerkir” (Country of Law) attacked the Minister of Education and Sciences, pretending to ask a question on behalf of the people, but remained quiet and stayed that way after hearing the response. I see some kind of game in all that. They talk firmly on television, show that they are raising issues on behalf of the people, but as soon as they hear the reply, they say thank you and sit. If there is a problem, they must fight for it and not ask the question and then sit down like an actor. Male and female government officials do the same job; I see no difference,” says Gurgen and adds that he would prefer male government officials.
Women work, while men take the children to school
As soon as driver Armen heard the question he said with disgust: “I don’t understand why women moan and groan. You change the channels and see women giving interviews and say that their rights are infringed upon in Armenia. But don’t you think that those times have passed? Today women have more power than men. Women are more of a leader than men in modern-day traditional Armenian families. Take a survey and you will see that in many Armenian families, women are the workers and the ones taking care of the family. Isn’t that power? They say it is hard to enter the political field. But who is prohibiting them to participate in politics? Do they want their husbands to print booklets for them, get involved in advertising and push them forward? If the woman has the knowledge, then she must move forward and not demand that others do it for her,” says Armen and brings up the example of passengers. “They order a taxi, get to their destination and the wife takes the money out of her belly and pays the driver. Roles have changed, but the worst is that men don’t feel bad about that; that doesn’t hurt their self-esteem. I have many acquaintances whose wives work and the husbands take the children to school. Don’t think that I am against women’s liberty. I just feel bad when they say that the Armenian woman is “behind bars”. Armenian women have always moaned and groaned, but it’s simply absurd in times like these. Today women drive luxurious cars, smoke, they are rich, do business and sit in fancy restaurants. Before they had to wipe the dirt off the feet of their father-in-laws,” says Armen and recalls that he reminds his wife about how women used to wipe the dirt off the feet of their father-in-laws whenever he wants to pressure her. “When I say that, we start to laugh hysterically because my father says that Armenians were unhygienic people in the past,” remembers Armen.
“Shaved-head, strong women will be in the National Assembly”
“I look at Angela Merckeley and get a kick out of her. Condolleeza Rice looks like a black robot. I would really like to see women with power, but not have power end in itself. For example, which authority figure has changed something in the country? What has he done? They praise Hranush Hakobyan a lot, but I have never seen or heard anything new from her. Alvard Petrosyan is like the old authority figures who talk and talk about morality, but don’t do anything,” says driver Samvel and adds that in any case, power destroys women. “For example, take a look at the female entertainers, the singers. Power is money and money destroys people; not everyone, of course, but it destroys the person who hasn’t seen it all.”
Driver Gegham, as always, starts what he has to say with a joke: “Oh my God…as if men did something, now we’re handing the country over to women. Trust me, we will see shaved-head, strong women in the National Assembly in 10 years. The women should be in the kitchen, but today people hire cooks. Female drivers are horrible, with the cigarette and mobile phone in their hands, fixed-up hair and they drive without looking around. If I try to say something, they’ll kill me. I remember in the summer when I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green and the driver next to me was female. She was talking on the cell-phone and you should have heard the curse words she was using. I look here and there, pretending not to look her way so as not to attract her attention; otherwise she would get out of the car and do something…I will never elect a female government official.”