To Believe or Not to Believe

By Zara Sargsyan

The pre-election campaigns currently under way in Armenia are reminiscent of incidents of mass hysteria. One of the Presidential candidates reads Charents poems at rallies, while another boasts that he does not need the poetry of Charents because he himself is the author of many works. Some are supporting their candidate by organizing a dance at the Armenia Marriott Hotel’s Tigran the Great Hall, and amid all this, the citizens of Armenia, tired of the songs, dances and poetry, are faced with questions like: To believe or not to believe? Who to believe?

Promises, Platforms
and Boasting

The candidates are generous in their promises. They start their speeches by saying, “I am not giving promises,” only to continue and say that they will reduce taxes, increase salaries and pensions, provide housing and cars to families with many children, resolve the Artsakh issue, alleviate corruption and punish the current authorities. Among all these promises, perhaps the one that captures one’s attention most is “punishing the current authorities.” At the rallies of Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrossian, we hear “Serjig go away!” and “Levon, Levon!” But what is strikingly different in Ter-Petrossian’s rallies today is the absence of the spirit that was present in rallies in the late 1980s, when he had around him figures symbolizing the national independence movement like Baruyr Hayrikian, Vazgen Manougian, Silva Gaboudigian, Zori Balayan and thousands of other intellectuals and political figures. Today, the people standing next to him do not inspire trust. Many of them planted and nourished the seeds of today’s corruption during the years of Pan-Armenian National Movement’s reign. He is surrounded by people whose promises of punishing the authorities are based exclusively on personal grudges. Hence, only very few believe in the nobility of their aspirations.

At the same time, Serge Sarkisian, laying claim to all the victories of the past decade and turning a blind eye to all the shortcomings of that period, promises to lead the people “towards a baregetsik [rich, prosperous] Armenia.” This reminds us of the saying about lovers, “He promises the impossible and doesn’t deliver even the possible.” I cannot see how one can consider the building of a corrupt state system an accomplishment.

In this election, the position of the ARF candidate Vahan Hovannesian is very solid. It is expected that the ARF will receive all the votes of its solid base. Their chances could have been even higher had they not associated themselves with the executive branch of the government. Their association with the Republican party might prove to be a shortcoming to the ARF candidate. Some also consider their criticism of the authorities not very convincing and hence damaging to Hovannesian’s prospects.

The candidates themselves insist that their programs and platforms have been crafted with a high level of experimental and analytical approach. The platform of Artur Baghdasaryan promises an unprecedented increase in salaries and pensions after his proposed tax reductions. The “ararman dzrakir” (the creation plan) ofArdashes Keghamian has become a bestseller, while Dikran Karapetian actually announced that since there is the Bible, he does not need an election platform...

Polls and Favorites

According to several polls, Sarkisian leads the race with a large margin followed by Ter-Petrossian. Neither the authorities nor the opposition doubts these predictions since these results seem to be convenient and beneficial for both. When the prevailing atmosphere is that only these two candidates have a chance to win, it will be easier to hunt for votes by the ensuing panic. In such an atmosphere, those who have not yet decided who from the opposition they are going to vote for, would tend to vote for Ter-Petrossian simply because they are opposed to Sarkisian. Similarly, the portion of society that remembers all too well the woes of Armenia during the presidency of Ter-Petrossian would vote for Sarkisian simply to avoid a repetition of that era.

The active participation of observers from international organizations in the election monitoring process does not guarantee democratic elections. Democratic elections are possible when the people consciously vote for a certain candidate, not against a candidate. The majority of voters in Armenia will go to the polls not to express their will (gamk) but their dismay (tjgamoutyoun). Hopelessness is a serious impediment on the road to democracy. The voters are guided by the principle of electing the lesser of two evils.

Election bribes are also a serious threat to the election process and amid the pre-election confusion, we often hear about people giving bribes and collecting personal information in return. This led the president of the Central Electoral Committee to make a public statement that “giving away personal information in no way affects the results of elections. However, I call upon you not to give your personal information to anyone.”

In this atmosphere, a portion of the electorate is actively participating in their favored candidate’s campaign, rallying for him and against his opponent(s), while the other portion of voters is trying to find an answer to the questions: To believe or not to believe? Who to believe?

And all voters, in their hearts, are wishing to see the name of Dikran the Great on the ballot paper, in realization of their dream of a prosperous Armenia, extending from sea to sea...