WHICH IS THE BEST WAY OUT?
Support A1+!“The home political events and the consequent tension in the country have led Armenia to a deadlock,” says political scientist Alexander Iskandarian.
Iskandarian says he can hardly imagine what a post the government may propose to Levon Ter-Petrossian as the latter will not accept it. Besides, Serzh Sarkissian cannot or at least will not want to offer Ter-Petrossian the president's chair.
One thing is obvious. The struggle continues no matter how hard the authorities try to interfere. The authorities are weak as they don't sanction rallies and keep on arresting people. There are many other factors testifying to their weakness: TV channels give a biased coverage of events or adjust the coverage to the authorities' orders.
Iskandarian thinks the situation might change after April 9 as today the decisions are mainly made by two key actors - Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkissian.
The four-fold coalition cannot solve the problem of confidence deeply rooted in the society. The problem of confidence would not be solved even if Levon Ter-Petrossian cooperates with the coalition. Distrust has been perceived in the public since the election of 1996.
The political scientist thinks most people who voted for Levon Ter-Petrossian voted against the government Similarly, those who voted for the government voted against the other candidates. Most countries of the world encounter the problem of confidence in the course of time, and it takes a long time to solve the problem, maybe several generations.
The government lacks legitimacy, Alexander Iskandarian says, because legal decisions, elections, their outcome, coalition agreements and inauguration are not enough to shape a government. A certain degree of legitimacy is necessary, the political scientist thinks, noting that only a legitimate government is strong, while today the government is far weakening, evidence to which serve the constraints and repressions we witness.
In reply to the question whether Serzh Sarrkissian might soothe the political situation through the reforms pledged by Levon Ter-Petrossian during the presidential campaign, Iskandarian said, “During the presidential campaign the presidential candidates did not pledge definite reforms and only uttered slogans, therefore the issue of reforms is out of consideration.”
Iskandaryan's opponent Aghazi Yenokian says no branch of power is legitimate in Armenia, and the society does not trust any of them. Yenokian thinks the country should conduct a new election on free and fair grounds to restore public confidence.
He disbelieves that the government will hold a new election, therefore as a possible way out he points to a transitional format which might lead to a new election.
In the main, the opponents are unanimous that Levon Ter-Petrossian will continue his struggle to the end and the authorities will do their utmost to stand in his way.
