Tigran Khzmalyan: “Armenia has changed and will never be the same”

Interview by David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK

The representative of the initiative group of the opposition political movement Sardarapat, the well-known movie director Tigran Khzmalyan, spoke to VK about social attitudes in Armenia, establishing a new political elite and the coming presidential elections.

-          The human rights protection movement is developing in Armenia. The defenders of Mashtots Park, the Trchkan Falls, people who are concerned about the case of Arsnakar, are a small part of this movement. It seems that the activity of social movements and organizations makes political parties pale into insignificance…

-          Armenia has changed and will never be the same. This might sound histrionic to sceptics, but the point of no return has passed in the country. Civil society is taking responsibility for the country, encouraged by the law of self-preservation. Many internal and external factors influence the process. The main internal aspect is a new generation which was born after the beginning of the Karabakh movement. But the older generation lives as well. It is a generation of those who strive to establish statehood and those who want to devastate the country. The movement headed by the Armenian National Congress in 2008 is fortunately coming to an end, because the ideas of the ANC leaders haven’t changed the situation in the country. It is a sad paradox. The victory of the opposition which was possible in 2008 wouldn’t bring systemic changes for Armenia. After the Karabakh war Armenia experienced a liberal revolution which led to the power of a group of authoritarian leaders. All three Armenian presidents represent this group, they are follow-ups of each other. The main result of their activity is ineffective management in Armenia, disastrous inadequacy and an inability to assess the changes being carried out in the country by the new “elite”.

-           You mean the young people who stand against the authorities are the new elite, are they?

-          Yes, they are. A new elite consisting of the youth is being established today. It doesn’t realize itself yet, but its best part demonstratively avoids so-called “political activity” in Armenia. In fact, a substitution of notions has taken place in Armenia. The society is sick of party activity, that is why the degradation of parties is obvious. It was caused by a deliberate policy to discredit the political parties of Armenia. Such a policy is typical not only for Armenia – it is an international tendency. After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the political forces situation changed dramatically, and a great imbalance appeared between the existing political parties and society. This crisis is vividly illustrated in Armenia, and the processes of development of the policy, economy and culture of the new generation are going rapidly.

-          In what direction should the new force work, considering that at the last parliamentary elections a significant part of society voted for the “old” system?

-          Old games which are imposed on people still exist in Armenia. It is ridiculous to say that somebody has won elections by this or that means, because none of Armenian problems are being solved.

-          Why? The problem of remaining in power and maintaining all corresponding goods was successfully solved by the winners…

-          The power is not a target, it is an instrument. Today the Armenian authorities hold bubbles which burst. They are doomed. I think the smartest of them understand it clearly. They steal our time, searching in vain for not only a billion dollars, but the way of national development. It is ridiculous to decide with which side we should be – Russia or America – considering 20 years of independence. It means the authorities are inadequate. Regarding geopolitical stability, Armenia is unprecedentedly stable, and this cannot be said about other countries neighboring us.

-          Therefore, the point is in mono-nationality…

-          Not only this aspect, as Arabs represent one nation too. I mean confessional and religious differences which can cause conflict in a country. It happened in Iraq; it is happening in Syria and other Arab countries.

-          In February, Armenia will see presidential elections. Do you think they cannot be an instrument of clearance of Armenia?

-          The event which will happen is February is not elections, but a show, like the parliamentary elections in May. Of course they cannot be an instrument for power changing, as they will take place within inter-clan and extra-clan agreements. The game is formed in such a way that its main participant – people – will have nothing in common with it. The mechanism of falsifications, threatening and forcing is so effective that the nation has no chance to show its will. But the regime has scare resources today. The authorities depend on the views of their creditors. The country is on the edge of structural changes in the social life of Armenia.

-          Can young people who solved the problem in Mashtots Park implement these structural changes without political parties?

-          A government can be overthrown by a shooting in the parliament, like in 1999, but it won’t lead to overthrowing those in power. Changing the system includes many components. The most important component is readiness for changes by society. In recent weeks environmental activists have appeared in Khosrovsky forest in Armenia; an opposition appeared in Karabakh; the group “We Are Hosts of The City” appeared in Gyumri, and so on. It means a total decomposition of the old system, a total crisis of power. Sardarapat stands along with these movements, and the police and the authorities accuse us of conducting them. The accusations are ridiculous, the authoroties don’t realize the social situation in the country. People don’t want to deal with politics. They let the opposition deal with it. All failures of recent years are not failures of society, they are failures of the opposition.

-          An opposition that was necessary for the authorities…

-          At least today the opposition doesn’t hide its dealings with various political forces. The absence of a huge amount of people at the current ANC protests which took place on Liberty Square in March 2008 means that the society understands the essence and targets of the opposition.