- What's the reason for the recent changes in Armenian administration? Are they caused by some new tendencies in the political life of Armenia or is it a part of the Republican Party's new campaign?
- The situation itself is not surprising. Autocratic power doesn't initiate such changes without any necessity. That means that these changes are necessary to secure the present day political system, the existing oligarchy.- Is the external factor important? - It is indeed! The Armenian economy was damaged badly by the global economic crisis. Now it is supported by other countries. Even state officials admit it. The foreign factor is now extremely important. The reason is that after corruption scandals the reputation of the present day authorities was damaged and they can no longer ignore the public opinion being quite certain that foreign countries will support them anyway. Centralization of the state may be a possible response. Today's elite has no other idea.This will mean mobilization of organized crime in administration, mobilization of the police and persecutions. Centralization will probably take place in the sphere of finance and economy. - Will the situation change after the 2012 elections, if the "Flourishing Armenia" party wins?- That's possible. The situation nowadays is outrageous. The elite have established an autocratic regime. All protesters are persecuted vehemently. I am quite certain that this regime is doomed.
- Does the society play any role in these processes?
- The question of the role of the public opinion is a very interesting one. Armenian society today differs greatly from that of 2007. Still a lot of people understand that political changes are caused by conflicts among the elite. That is why in general they prefer to stay aside.
- Does the coalition boycott to the Karabakh's Independence bill reflect this situation?
- The parliamentary majority has shown its inability to react properly. That shows that the country is undergoing dramatic changes. There are a lot of serious problems. That's an obvious collapse of the whole political system. I think the nation understands it but has a certain fear of what will happen next.
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for VK