Elections
OK, here by popular demand is a blog about the elections. Honestly, I don't really know what to write about. Before the elections, I felt like MAYBE, just maybe , this time it will be fair. Everything said on the news sounds like the elections were nearly flawless. But, the streets (or should I say Opera) and various witnesses tell us that nothing is ok. Just check out the www.a1plus.am to get opposition news. The H1 channel showed Levon's sit-in protest at Opera today, focusing on how people are not really there to make a political point, but rather to smoke marijuana and engage in violent behavior. The sit-in has been in place since the 20th, and Levon has said he will be president soon. Kocharian fired varioius political figures (no reasons stated).
Who do we believe? Who is telling the truth? Who REALLLYYYY wants the best for Hayasdan? It is impossible to tell. The news is tainted, and gossip around town .... well, you all know how a grain of sand becomes a boulder in any Armenian community.
So really, I wasn't blogging because there is nothing to say. I drive past Opera to work, and then from work back home. The stores are open, Vernisage was bustling, there was a wedding at St. Sarkis today, and the marshots still drive like mad-men. This power struggle over being president will eventually end, probably for another 10 years. I'm not sure how I feel about all of it, because if I had a sliver of belief that somehow the elections were or would be fair... now I am convinced no one would give up the "president's chair". These guys have more money in their bank accounts than the entire country's yearly budget (someone told me-- don't know how true).
That's all for now... Oh ya, Spring is on its way.... HOORA!!! :)
Who do we believe? Who is telling the truth? Who REALLLYYYY wants the best for Hayasdan? It is impossible to tell. The news is tainted, and gossip around town .... well, you all know how a grain of sand becomes a boulder in any Armenian community.
So really, I wasn't blogging because there is nothing to say. I drive past Opera to work, and then from work back home. The stores are open, Vernisage was bustling, there was a wedding at St. Sarkis today, and the marshots still drive like mad-men. This power struggle over being president will eventually end, probably for another 10 years. I'm not sure how I feel about all of it, because if I had a sliver of belief that somehow the elections were or would be fair... now I am convinced no one would give up the "president's chair". These guys have more money in their bank accounts than the entire country's yearly budget (someone told me-- don't know how true).
That's all for now... Oh ya, Spring is on its way.... HOORA!!! :)
posted by shooosh at 9:05 PM
12 Comments:
I don't understand how anyone who lived in armenia in the early '90s could even consider Levon again...Unles they're trying to boost the candle and kerosene lamp industries..
ha ha "boost the candle and kerosene lamp industries" thanks Haik I found that statement pretty clever. As a diasporan observing from the outside I agree. Every time I'm in Armenia I come across so many citizens who compalin about the early days of independence and how bad it was so I don't understand either. It would be great to get their perspective now. Did they really think they had it better during LTP vs. Kocharian? I'm fascinated by this and shocked that LTP was even in the race none the less one of the front runners!
While i believe levon did make certain mistakes, everybody forgets that the karabagh war was won under levon's leadership..Not roberts and serj's. People blame levon for the tough times in armenia..ANY president that took power at that time would have faced the same problems. The complete SOVIET EMPIRE COLLAPSED..does anyone really expect levon to have created a corrupt free government in the 90s.. people talk about selling electricity to georgia..etc... WAR IS NOT CHEAP..next time you watch a rally in yerevan will all of the expensive equipments..remember most of the good quality equipment was bought from russia..the used equipment was taken from abandoned azeri fighters. People really forget that it was levon who stood for karabagh. Even the wisest commanders know that the buffer zones were taken to be given back for a compensation...and the most interesting and bizzarre point is that the same reason that levon was taken out of power(for the step by step process..instead of a package deal)..is the same process that robert has been trying to do for years..meaning he is implementing the same policies that he accused levon of doing as a trader. And lastly the most impressive thing that levon did that robert really messed up on was during levon's time, Stepanakert was involved in the negotiations..they had a voice.. now baku refuses to even consider stepankerts presence.
Please type in a name, even a fake one when you comment, so we can call you something. Thanks.
So anonymous, you make a lot of important points, but I disagree about a couple of things. Yes, I think Levon should have ended corruption, just like they did in the Baltics. It was the perfect time and a historic opportunity to do it. People were expecting and demanding change. For this, he is guilty, guilty, guilty, and a huge hypocrite for complaining about the current corruption.
For the step-by-step comment, I do see an important difference between the LTP and Kocharian agreements... I do not think that the LTP agreement had a stipulation for Karabakh to vote on its independence 10 years later. That is a CRITICAL difference, one that means the difference between independence and "autonomy" at the Azeri whim.
For your last point, that now Baku is negotiating with Yerevan instead of Stepanakert, I am not sure if that is good or bad, or makes a real difference, though I tend to like the idea of the Armenian government leaving the whole process to Stepanakert.
The Baltic states that you are referring to are not completely corrupt free. Furthermore, the lack of corruption is not attributed to any leader implementing ant-corrupt laws and legislatures. The fact that the baltic states are less corrupt than Armenia is because they became EUROPE. Estonia, latvia, lithuania,..etc..by joining the EU, became part of the EU system. As a result, there are many checks and balances that eliminate corruption. ex. This much money from the eu is allocated for road building, the money is monitored, audited..etc. So that point is irrelevant. If you take georgia for example, yes there is less corruption, because the US has financed it soooo much..and for the time being, it is less corrupt..and this can be seen by the HUGE lack of support for saakhashvilli in tiflis. That government will crumble and revert back to its organic caucus balance..in the realm of greater russian influence.
Before robert, there were corrupt groups/individuals...now it has turned into a pyramid scheme, where everyone has to pay a little to the top. People have lost faith in the government. As for the karabagh deal,before lachin and kelbajar were never on the negotiating tables, baku never imagined they can even consider those lands..but now they are aggresively following those to lands, which its lose will be detrimental for armenia. Levon knows very well that the 10year plan will not work in our favor..the demographic consequences will lead to another civil war. WE all have to remember one thing..While I wholeheartedly believe and know that our boys are great fighters in the war, we can not ignore the obvious. They made many many mistakes. elchibey was the best president of azeri that we could have asked for..he did so many things to piss off the russians(not joining cis, pan turanism, millitarly strategic mistakes...ie.. (sending every tank division with inexperienced fightes, using thousands of lezgis who abandoned their post because they didnt believe in the war)..but people learn from their mistakes..the next war will be much worse. kids are dying on the borders everyweek..and all diasporans come to yerevan, sip coffee and think we have won victoriously..many of this soldiers are dead, wounded physically and psychologically..this needs to end.
as for stepanakert being in the negotiations...just by being present, it shows indirectly to the world, that baku has acknowledged their presence..it is a symbolic presence which was very helpfull...we all know the policies are sent from yerevan..which is fine.
Sorry Chris, I couldn't make it through your whole comment, it didn't make sense to me.
Why do the Baltics or Georgia or Armenia need the EU or US to be clean of corruption?!? Come on man, we're not inferior to the West, and we could clean up corruption if the guy at the top had the willpower, rather then the greed.
The 10 year plan will not work in our favor due to demographics?!?! Come on. If we can't demographically hold on to Karabakh for 10 years, then it seems we don't deserve it.
It's all up to us... we had 5 candidates that got a few percent each - the 2 that had already had a turn at the top, and were clearly the most corrupt got a landslide of the votes. The 3 that might, just might have been different (Manoukyan, Baghdasaryan, Hovanisyan) got virtually nothing.
As a friend of mine says, people are worthy of their governments - we apparently are worthy of this one.
Thanks Chris, I think you are raising some important points.
Sorry Raffi, I can't understand why you're expecting Armenia to follow the same steps of the Baltic states in terms of administrative reforms. The general context, the starting point, the political climate and a certain mentality, if I can use this term, are quite different.
It is preposterous at best to expect that a single President had the ability to solve these things.
The point raised by Chris indeed DOES make sense. The way funds are allocated by EU, the systems of checks and balances, the auditing and monitoring activities carried out by external agencies, and the expectations of a final assessment do make a difference in terms of administrative management.
I think that Chris also raises many good points about the way Karabagh talks have been handled.
I don't think I need to elaborate on the line all diasporans come to yerevan, sip coffee and think we have won victoriously. One just has to read through this blog.
Skylark, there are 2 ways Armenia could overcome corruption without western help I think. 1) at a special moment in history, when ALL of society is demanding massive, complete change, and want to follow a completely different model. That happened when Armenia became independent, and 1,000,000 people were rallying for Karabakh, independence, and imagined Armenia would become like Switzerland. That was the historic opportunity that LTP lost. 2) A benevolent dictator.
So yes, I don't think intervention from the west is a precondition for an end to corruption - there either has to be will across all society (which the top conforms to), or will at the very top (with a mighty gun to enforce that will).
Your comment about the Diasporans on this blog is very insulting - the type of thing I would ordinarily not allow a comment through for. If you think that the ones who have moved to Armenia are only sipping on coffee, you have not been reading carefully - everyone here is doing cool things, and working, and volunteering, and civic activism - whether they blog about it or not. We are all EXTREMELY wary about writing almost anything about ourselves anymore exactly because we are sick of this kind of judgmental surface accusation. We don't have to live like monks to contribute positive things.
Another comment today I did not publish accuses us of blogging for our own good, "like politicians" (simply because there weren't enough blogs about the elections for their liking). My god, if you only knew how much I've come to cringe at the thought of blogging - but do it in the hope of sharing something, chronicling something, encouraging others... luckily I still meet people who tell me they've followed the blog for years, and appreciate them, or else, going by these comments, I'd have closed down the blog long ago.
to raffi, you misunderstood the point i made about my criticism of diasporans coming to armenia "sipping coffee"..My criticism is not to those who have moved there and live and pay taxes there, yet to those who go there through scouts, etc,,etc,, visit maybe one or two nationalstic villages and conclude with the rest of the diasporans (which the diasporans org's encourage)..that the azeri nation have always been our enemes and we need the diasporans to send us more money, more guns so we can take nakhichevan back as well as javakh..etc. Few diasporans have ever visited "real people" in armenia and artsakh..if they did, they would realize that most of the villagers never had any real animosity with azerbaijanis for decades..My criticism is that diasporans who come and visit and leave only see a fantasy land called armenia, they do not see the real picture..it doesnt take a genius or a strategist to figure out that one needs to get along with one's neighbor..PERIOD..there can be no other arguments to that..the country can not and should not depend on relatives sending money every month..this is a ficticious state being formed. the country is like a human organism..it needs to breath and be able to walk and maneuvre. Right now three of the limbs have been severed, but the head looks nice, so everybody doesnt see the rest of the body. I dont mean to go to philosophical and exacerbate this blog, however i do want to stress the point that my criticism was in no way to repat armenians..
Hi Chris, thanks :-) Actually though, that was more of a response to Skylark, who was specifically referring to repats.
What you say about most visitors not connecting with locals is true, and also that most locals do not bear hostility to Azeris (though they'd not want to see Karabakh under Azeri rule). But, it's not easy for most westerners on a two week vacation, with poor language skills, or on a group tour, to sit and bond with a local outside of Yerevan.
If you want to see it happen, you could set up a day trip to the countryside where people just hang out with ordinary people. I'm sure a lot of visitors would find it rewarding and interesting. You can also promote the Janapar http://www.janapar.org - which is all about exactly what you're advocating.
Yes i know, i have followed your progress on the janapar and i know that is one of the most smartest things i have seen. europeans love that kind of stuff. now i dont want to use this blog to give advice or suggest anything..the janapar is really your creation, but if i might suggest something. The hot springs in kelbajar(ok nor shahumyan), are very unique in that region..if you were to open a small b&b more catered to something like an outdoor spa..and emphasize the history of the region which was that the springs were used by the nobles when the region of TSAr was a big political powerhouse during the time of the meliks, "live like a melik for a day.." you might be able to garner some more tourism there. have a couple of traditional hourses from the martakert region..where people can ride a horse from the b&b to the hot springs..i know personally that japanese tourists would love that and would pay money to see that....again just a thought!
Thanks. It's of course a great idea to build a b&b there - an idea that I have had while soaking in the water, and I'm sure just about everyone else soaking there has had as well...
I only disagree with one part of your plan, the part saying that *I* should do it. I think you should!
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