Armenian revolution of Reform #1mar

@hpNYR, a young NY based activist is trying to single-handedly spark a social media-driven revolution in Armenia. The key word is 'single-handedly' here, because looking at the statistics he's getting, you know the guy hasn't got either much help, or support.

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Democracy and Map of South Caucasus Telecom Infrastructure

Altzgamer.ru has posted a map of internet and telecommunication's infrastructure in the Black See region, covering 3 South Caucasian countries. Here's an interesting observation:

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The Babe Theory of Revolutions

View more presentations from Artur Papyan.

Inspired by Who's afraid of Twitter...

Փակվող հեռուստատեսության սեփականատերը իշխանություններից հրաժարական է պահանջելու

Այսօր Մատենադարանի հարակից տարածքում տեղի ունեցավ Տիգրան Կարապետյանի ղեկավարած Ժողովրդական կուսակցության բազմահազարանոց հանրահավաքը, որի ընթացքում կուսակցության առաջնորդը հայ ժողովրդի անունից ՀՀ իշխանություններին կոնկրետ պահանջների տեսքով ներկայացրեց վերջնագիր.

1. Անհապաղ ազատ արձակել քաղաքական բանտարկյալներին:
2. Երկրում վերականգնել արդարությունը:
3. Կանխել արտագաղթը:
4. Անհապաղ իջեցնել գազի, էլեկտրոէներգիայի, ջրի սակագները:
5. Կանխել գնաճը:
6. Վարկեր` 7 տոկոսից ոչ ավելի:
7. Փոքր բիզնեսին հաստատագրված հարկ` 10 հազար դրամ:
8. Լիարժեք վարձատրել յուրաքանչյուրին:
9. Սոցիալական զամբյուղը դարձնել բարոյական:
10. Առնվազն կրկնապատկել նվազագույն աշխատավարձը:
11. Բարձրացնել կենսաթոշակները:
12. Ճանաչել ավանդները:
13. Բարձրացնել անապահով խավերի նպաստը:
14. Ապահովել անվճար բուժօգնություն անապահով խավերին:
15. Երիտասարդությանը հատկացնել առաջնահերթ տեղ:

Եթե իշխանություններն իրավիճակի համակարգային փոփոխության կտրուկ քայլեր չձեռնարկեն, ապա փետրվարի 28-ի հաջորդ հանրահավաքում Ժողովրդական կուսակցությունը կոչով կդիմի հայ ժողովրդին` գնալ արտահերթ խորհրդարանական և նախագահական ընտրությունների:

Ժողովրդական կուսակցության մամլո ծառայություն

Yerevan's Mayor Gagik Beglarian Resigns and Quits Blogging

Gagik Beglarian's blog before closure

Following his scandalous resignation over beating a presidential aide, Yerevan's Mayor Gagik Beglarian has closed his blog, which was opened last year ahead of May 2009 municipal elections in Yerevan which had ensured his position as mayor for 4 years.

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Armenia Needs Serzh Sargsyan Twitter Account

Twitter saw 300% growth in sign-ups the next day and have seen steady growth in activity and high-profile Russian use one day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev started an account at Twitter HQ.
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Western media at their best.

The journalist's question about Georgia gets censored on CBS. A reporter makes a comparison between the US reaction to 911 and Russia's reaction to Georgian attacks and the satellite feed drops off in the middle of his question. TV is censored every day and every hour but sometimes the censorship is plain to see.This time it was on CBC in Canada.

Exporting Democracy - A Global Fiasco

Armenianow.com had an interesting article "Present and Future Power Debate: Who will be the choices in 2008?" which examines the possible scenarios of political developments, probable candidates and the effects of these decisions on the political life in the country. However, all the arguments brought to and for this or that candidate in the article are most irrelevent to see the overall picture in the country. The one and only thing that got me interested was rather this one single point made by Washington D.C./Yerevan political analyst Richard Giragosian:

Representing a western-influenced viewpoint, Giragosian says the US has learnt a clear lesson from organizing the flower and color (“Rose” in Georgia; and “Orange” in Ukraine) revolutions in some CIS republics and concludes that imposed democracies do not work in countries where there are no truly democratic oppositions.

With too many other hot spots of unrest or tension – from North Korea to Darfur – the west, says the veteran analyst, welcomes stability.

“The process of importing American democracy has exhausted itself. Today both the US and Russia want to maintain stability in Armenia and the CIS. That context would suggest the US should endorse Serge Sargsyan’s candidacy for Kocharyan’s succession, because Sargsyan will be able to continue the current political and economic path,” Giragosian says.

The point is - small nations like us should always remember, that for big nations liek US, Russia there are no such things as values, human rights or democratic principles outside of their immediate state borders. The one and only thing moving the world powers is profit: economic, political, military gains, etc. I have said previously in my blog posts, that the Armenian people can only count on themselves if they really want democracy, because nobody else is going to come round helping us - as it is not in any global power's interests. We are too small to represent a market, we have no nuclear arms to pose dangers to their security, etc, etc...
The conclusion by the analysts kills me - it is so very true, but so utterly disgusting!

For the time being perhaps Armenia needs someone like Putin – with some dictatorial way of rule and the ability to eradicate corruption and the constantly increasing criminalization in the country.

PACE Resolution "Whip and Carrot Policy" for Armenia with "Carrots" prevailing

The whip today was the speech by Anthony Godfrey, U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Armenia (via Armenpress) who "warned today in Yerevan that his government would revise the decision to allocate a hefty $236 million in extra aid to Armenia if its authorities fail to hold free and just parliamentary elections, slated for May" once again, as we have been hearing several times already during the last couple of months.

And while the resolution adopted January 23 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe literally reiterates the same thought (via PanArmenian.net)“The Assembly expects Armenia to demonstrate its capacity to hold the parliamentary elections in 2007 and the presidential elections in 2008 in accordance with international standards, not least with regard to pluralist, impartial media coverage of the election campaign,” we clearly saw more "carrots" in the PACE resolution then "whips" this time.

Indeed phrases like this one: “While acknowledging the progress made by Armenia towards compliance with its obligations and commitments, in particular since the adoption of the constitutional reform, the Assembly today decided to pursue its monitoring procedure until the current or proposed reforms in the fields of electoral law, the media and the justice system have produced tangible results,” are quite positive, and even the speach by the Head of «Justice» bloc Stepan Demirchyan stating that "although Armenia is reforming its Constitution, it is not enough: people must respect the Constitution and the Laws", as well as important reminders about the fact that "Armenia has not yet honored some of the commitments put forward by the PACE resolutions, particularly, independent TV Company «A1+» is still out of air" didn't change much of the overly positive attitude of the deputies. A potentially interesting point of view (although quite hostile as you might assume) on the issue can be found in the coverage of the APA: Azeri-Press Information Agency: as they quote Member of the Azerbaijani delegation Rafael Huseynov saying “The time, content and process of the discussions were organized so that it more resembled the meeting of Armenian parliament. No one from the Azerbaijani delegation was given the floor."

So what is going on? Is Armenia really progressing, and I, in my blind fury and dislike of authorities refuse to see it - or are the PACE just trying to be mild to Armenia for whatever reasons of their own. And then again, another matter to be speculated on is - do high level politicians at PACE think that they have ANY influence over the situation in Armenia, or are they just trying to be nice to what they see as "going" authorities and prefer not to spoil relations in the times very hard for Europe, as the issues of Energy Security and relations with rising Russia dominate the European agenda at all levels?

Will Armenians Ever Vote for Political Ideas or Will It Always Be for Empty Heads and Full Pockets?

January saw an incredible amount of political announcements in Armenia - all and every party in Armenia stating their views on the possibility of forming a coalition or getting on alone as they prepare to run for the Parliamentary elections in May 2007. Some of the parties do state rather firm views, like United Labor Party (MAK) of G. Arsenyan stating earlier that they will definitely run separately, while ARF saying in a firm but fishy way that "The ARF will take an independent part in the elections, but cooperation with the opposition is not ruled out"(22 January 2007, ARKA - News) and opposition grouping and regrouping at a blazing speed almost on a daily basis. Now the problem with all this political dance-about is - nobody is talking of concrete political ideas and programs. And this is becoming a most overwhelming issue when we look at the newly emerged superparty - the "Prosperous Armenia" - the party which has over 300,000 members subscribed to its hideous model of "potato democracy". This is roughly 20% of the voting age population, and is 3 times bigger membership then the Communist Party of Armenia had in its best days during the Socialist era.

In the meanwhile an RFE/RL had an earlier report on the evening program of 14th January, 2007 about the study conducted by the Armenian Sociological Association, in which it detailed on the fact that 58% of Armenia's population is not satisfied with the overall political course of the country, but in the same time the majority of the 1200 questioned thought, that the country is making a solid progress as far as the economy is concerned (the assumption that the economy is in a good shape is only partly true considering the the export/import dynamics and overall economic developments, and is rather a product of dollar's devaluation and aggressive pro-government propaganda on all Armenian TV Media). At any rate, the study found, that the voters are prioritizing the issues of job creation, increase of pensions and social benefits, while defining the problems of conducting free and fare elections and the solution of the Kharabakh conflict as secondary objectives for the political agenda.

Much later, on January 22nd, the President of the abovementioned Armenian Sociological Association, Gevork Pogossyan, told ArmInfo (22 January 2007, ARMINFO News) that although "60% of Armenia's electorate today has a traditionally oppositional mood and this tendency has been remaining within the last 10 years", amazingly enough at least for me "the "Prosperous Armenia" party and the Republican party have the highest rating in the political field of Armenia. Then the ARF "Dashnaktsutiun" party comes, while the rating of oppositional parties is lower". And although the respectable scientist does not seem surprised at such contradictions in the moods of the Armenian public and explains it all by saying that "the phenomenon of the "Prosperous Armenia" can be compared with the "Orinats Yerkir" party's phenomenon in 2003 elections, when this party had presented new persons, new slogans and fresh ideas" I find such an explanation unsatisfactory - because populist as the "Orinats Yerkir" were - they at least had something resembling a program to present, whereas "Prosperous Armenia" is only in the politics via a widespread distribution of potato seeds, plastic ropes and vague promises, that its leader Gaguik Tsarukyan will continue helping its voters and sharing his immense wealth (mostly gained by tax evasion and other means of ripping off the mentioned voters) after his party is elected to the parliament.

This however, doesn't mean that the Armenian voter is regressing or that it is becoming less and less politically literate, but rather, that people are essentially deprived of political alternatives and choice, so they are turning to non-political alternatives. And this is what troubles me most - for one day the single practices of voting for populist calls and full pockets may turn from a bad habit into a firm tradition. (A1+ has more on the issue)

200 different situations

The world is made of 200 different situations, and if you do something here, doesn't necessarily apply to everywhere else. This is what The Rt Hon Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE PC told us today in his speech on "Britain and the World". This comment was while answering to the questions: why the invasion in Iraq wasn't followed by an invasion in North Korea, and on what will the Kosovo precedent mean for the Nagorno-Karabakh, Sth. Ossetian, Abkhazian, etc. conflicts (the second question asked by me naturally :)).

Now the Rt Hon Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE PC really knows what he's talking about: he is the bearer of more titles then my poor mind can handle. For example Rt Hon.: (abbreviated "The Right Honourable The Rt Hon." or "The Right Hon.") is an honorific prefix which is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, other Commonwealth Realms, and elsewhere. Read more in the Wikipedia. Couldn't find what CH means, CBE stands for the Commandor of British Empire and PC - I'm sorry, but I don't know that one either.

At any rate he was the Minster of State in the Foreign Office and the Home Office, served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1984-1985, Home Secretary from 1985-1989 and Foreign Secretary from 1989-1995. Now I'm all so excited about these titles and dates of service to prove to you - that I'm busy here talking to important people! But more importantly - Lord Hurd is a man who has seen the Nagorno-Kharabakh and Kosovo problems in their most violent stages. Seen it from the perspective of top level British Foreign Policy!!! That's as high as it gets - doesn't it? And he's saying - THE WORLD IS MADE OF 200 DIFFERENT SITUATIONS!

There's some bloody good justification for the world powers not to do anything when mass killings, displacements of people occur and whole nations are exiled from their homelands. You see the big difference in the Iraq and North Korea is - Iraq HAS OIL! Isn't that what you mean by different situation Lord Hurd? And liekwise - Azerbaijan HAS OIL and the BP in there - isn't that how the Nagorno-Karabkh situation is different from that of Kosovo my dear Rt Hon leaders of British Politics?