A member of the initiative group of the opposition movement Sardarapat, Jirajr Sefilyan, told VK about the near collapse of the third republic and ways out of the difficult internal political situation in Armenia.
- In spring 2012 parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia. Will the political situation in the republic change after their results are summed up? Will a new splash of protests in society take place like in 2008? Will power be bargained?
- I can say that a potential explosion hazard exists in society even now. However, there is no political force to organize it. We are trying to do it. The potential for revolution exists today and it will exist tomorrow or 6 months later. As for parliamentary elections in Armenia, they didn’t gain the features of all-national elections, and I don’t think it will happen before spring. Passons are intensifying in Armenia only after presidential elections. Like in 2007, the authorities will form a political space, according to their views. So I don’t see any problem here.
We think that elections cannot change the situation in Armenia seriously, considering the systematic falsification, which looks like a tradition. All future participants in these elections, which are doubtful or manipulated by the government, are naïve. The swamp, which in Armenia is called the political space, is fully under the control of the current authorities.
- You always speak about the near collapse of the third republic of Armenia and appearance of a fourth one. What are the grounds for this?
- The third republic of Armenia, despite the fact it is only 20 years old, is like an idiotic old man. That is why we are sure of its unavoidable collapse. The main thing for us is to establish the basis for a new Fourth Republic of Armenia. The Sardarapat movement deals with this problem. We are working with the intellectuals of Armenian society in the country and in the Diaspora, as its members are not indifferent to Armenia’s fate. We try to involve them in the process of establishing a new statehood in Armenia. Our young people are very promising. However, we have no intention of founding a youth branch in our movement. Young people should participate in our initiative along with adults. We aim to establish a firm youth core, which woun’t be afraid of acting by themselves and taking initiative and responsibility if it is necessary. Our generation should help young people to be involved in political activity. We don’t see dramatic changes in the political situation without the energy and ideas of our young people. The main thing is not the development of a new beautiful program, but forming a framework of the nation, including people of common ideas.
- What are ways of achieving the movement’s objectives?
- Today we are developing a long term program, which is aimed at the strategy of activity after the collapse of the current regime. I can tell you that overthrow of power is not very difficult, the difficulties will start after it. We should have a plan of rapid development of Armenia in the short term. We understand that Armenia is not Switzerland, and we are not in Europe. We are pressed for time for a dramatic increase n the quality of our new state. Having a small territory we should have great quality.
From this point of view, the forthcoming Armenian revolution will have its own characteristics. The way out of the current situation is the establishment of a new political space, which won’t be controlled by the authorities. That is target number one. After the establishment of a new political space with new rules and principles, the authorities will have to surrender. I don’t think they will kill thousands of people. Blame for the existence of the current authorities lies with the opposition, which couldn’t gather people and change the current political space. As Armenian parties didn’t show themselves to be political forces, they became bargainers with only one aim – to protect their own interests.
Sardarapat want to stop this political madness by forming a group of intellectuals, who will head Armenia and make it prosperous. After forming this group we will urge people to overthrow the authorities.
- What is the reason the potential of the Diaspora is not being used by the current authorities. Is it that it risks surpassing their prospects?
- Since 1991 we have been witnessing the efforts of the authorities to bring Armenia and the Diaspora into conflict, according to the principle “Armenia for Armenians, the Diaspora for members of the Diaspora.” It seriously damaged the idea of unity of the nation. The worst thing is that the idea became a stereotype. However, Sardarapat has managed to destroy it. The reason for such an attitude to the Diaspora is that the Armenian authorities have never believed in Armenia's potential, they’ve never wanted to establish a powerful state. Their only aim has ever been protecting their interests. Today our compatriots in the Diaspora understand that their motherland has no statehood, and it is partially due to their passivity.
