Will he or will he Not?

The It-topic currently under discussion in Armenian media, blogs, political/business circles is ‘breaking silence’ by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and his possible presidential ambitions.

I remember his presidency back then. Let’s make it this way, I WANT to remember the first couple of years of his presidency. I felt like living in a democratic country. It was so exciting, you could just feel freedom out there… I had big hopes that at last my dream of seeing Armenia as democratic country is becoming true.

I quite liked Levon back then. He was intelligent, had charisma. However, instead of strengthening democracy and making it a way of life, he turned the process back. That’s the main reason I will not forgive him. He surrounded himself with people and choices which ruined any hope for better. And eventually, as expected, he got betrayed by the same people and choices.

I do not really blame him for those horrific few years, when we lived like... probably the way people live under war conditions, without electricity, with bread cards etc. These were the harshest years in my life. I won’t like anyone to experience what we’ve gone through... I do not think he is to blame for it, that was mainly a consequence of geopolitical situation Armenia was in and we survived it. However, I blame him for not fighting corruption, and instead creating an environment where corruption reached unprecedented levels even for ex-Soviet standards.

Also, I do not think that his favoured plan of Karabakh conflict settlement, over which he was forced to resign, would have worked out. One of the main problems (still IS) with the plan he was supporting was unclear future of Karabakh status. I can’t see any peace deal working without it. The status of Karabakh is the essence of the process, everything else are just tactical things. When I hear people saying, let’s talk about everything else, let’s decide on every other aspect but let’s not use the S-word, not for now, they are just kidding themselves and others. But Levon was not even able to defend his plan back then. He was too weak as a leader (agree with Observer on that). How can I trust him now? How can I be sure that he won’t resign again? And I use the word "resign" in its wider meaning.

I noticed general tendency that people try to create an impression that there is no other choice in Armenia, they are the only ones. I do not buy it. Unfortunately, it seems that so far there is no real, ‘working’ candidate for opposition. And I do not want to make a choice between the lesser of evils, it is not a choice, it’s like a lottery, and I do not trust lottery. I want to have real choice. And by choice I do not mean that “anyone else will be better”. I need real alternative. If you do not provide me with a CHOICE, I’d rather stick with the current status quo, however critical I may be towards them.

And finally, I want to have that feeling of freedom again. Will I?

*picture via reporter_arm