Yesterday Despite the rainy weather, people continue gathering near Matenadaran, the institute of ancient manuscripts, to participate in an opposition rally, held by the Armenian National Congress. As usual the leading speech was the first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s. He accused Armenia’s leadership of presiding over an “incredibly” corrupt political and economic system at a fresh rally held by his Armenian National Congress. Ter-Petrosyan focused on endemic government corruption in an extensive speech before several thousand supporters that gathered in central Yerevan amid heavy rain. He again claimed that leadership change is the only way to save the country from “destruction.” In his long speech Ter-Petrosyan didn’t mention any names concrete names despite the fact that many people expected names. By enumerating the list of people of the government elite Ter-Petrosyan stated, “Corruption, absence of law and anti-national foreign policy are evils hanging over Armenia. Armenia is doomed to collapse if the situation remains unchanged, i.e. the regime does not resign, Armenia. Not only criminal authorities, but also election riggers and false oppositionists will bear responsibility for it. I do not exaggerate the situation and present it in different colors. Unfortunately, the reality is obscure and gloomy. Only you, the rally participants will be able to avert the pending disaster. Corruption has infected Armenia’s entire government elite, from the regime’s top leaders to ministers, governors, generals, judges, prosecutors, mayors and the majority of National Assembly deputies,” he said. “There is not a single high-ranking state official who does not have his own business … or has not made a huge fortune during his tenure. Nor is there a single business generating even $500 in monthly revenue, from which a representative of the state does not benefit.” In fact yesterday’s speech of Ter-Petrosyan is not interesting due to mentioning certain names but because it points out certain emphases. After September 2007 Ter-Petrosyan returned to politics. In most of his speeches we would notice the “anti-oligarchic thesis.” He would name by name promise to all the oligarchs the future of becoming “homeless” after he got elected. Indeed he meant that for them in the event if they continued endorsing the reproduction of the incumbent government. However, regardless of formulations Ter-Petrosyan’s campaign was built on turning all the oligarchs into homeless after he’d get elected. And the oligarchs themselves took this not like a warning but a promise on part of Ter-Petrosyan in the event he got elected. This was basically a threat for them. After the elections of 2008 many people stipulated the loss (or the takeaway of his victory – the formulation is not important in this case) by the anti-oligarchic campaign of the first President. The arguments of the ones, who supported this opinion, where convincing. Whether good or bad but the oligarchs in Armenia are subjects of developed infrastructures, who have immense influence on electoral processes. And if Ter-Petrosyan didn’t declare war against them a part of them may not so loyally serve the government. It is hard to say whether Ter-Petrosyan himself agrees with those arguments or accepts his setback but it is clear that certain changes have taken place. Everything changes, everything floats… just like yesterday’s rain.
