Politics and Small Town Armenia

A few days ago, I had an interesting conversation with my director, Hasmik, actually we do all the time but this one was political. She asked me a few questions regarding my opinions of the current political situation in Armenia.  I felt honored that she was curious about how I perceived the new Prime Minister and the changes she and many others hope he will bring to this country.

What precipitated this conversation was the news that she shared with me that Prime Minister Pashinyan was visiting our little city of Noyemberyan in northern Armenia.  He was going to give a speech on the steps of city hall which is across from the little park I love and our office. She was hoping to have a chance to talk with him.

I explained that my knowledge of the Armenian language was still too weak to know all of the promises made by the new government. I know he is continually saying the new Armenia.  I explained that I had some opinions of the political climate and what I have observed about the people in several parts of Armenia.

Everywhere you go in Armenia, there are people wearing baseball caps emblazoned with the word “Դուխով or Dukov”. The word is a Russian word that, as I understand it,  means “Be Strong” and became a rallying cry for Pashinyan’s Velvet Revolution. T- shirts are worn with Pashinyan’s profile and the word, Dukov, by everyone, from the smallest child to senior citizens. If you ask a small child who is on their t-shirt, they proudly declare, “Nikol” and follow that with a shout of “Dukov”.  Prime Minister Pashinyan is immensely popular at this moment. He represents a hope that the “New Armenia” will develop a stronger economy, be less corrupt and more responsive to the people. Like a king, the people call him by his first name only when speaking of him. I can’t help but wonder that about nine months after the Velvet revolution succeeded in ousting Prime Minister Sargsyan and electing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan if there will be a flood of babies being born and named Nikol or Nikola.

This is the climate I discussed with my Director, Hasmik.  Prime Minister Pashinyan is more popular right now than Henryk Mkhitaryan, the most famous Armenian football star right now.  In America, we would say he has rock star status. Like Elvis or Prince, you only need to use Prime Minister Pashinyan’s first name, Nikol, and everyone knows who you are talking about.  I told Hasmik that my wish is that he uses this newfound celebrity status to get a Parliament elected this autumn that will support his reforms and democratization, ending the corruption of the last few administrations.  Right now, P.M. Pashinyan faces the same dilemma that President Obama faced when both houses of Congress were controlled by the opposing Republican Party.

Hasmik told me she wanted to see Prime Minister Pashinyan appoint smart people, appropriately trained for their positions in the government. In the past, the practice of favoritism towards political allies had created an atmosphere of greed and corruption.  The spoils system, nepotism, and cronyism were overwhelming the efficiency of the government. Hasmik wanted the government to be inclusive of all people and opinions and responsible to the people of Armenia.

I told her of the book, Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  The book describes how President Lincoln installed some of his greatest political rivals in to high level cabinet positions. His trust of their political experience, intelligence and love of country outweighed his fear of their rivalry.  These men helped him through his turbulent, war-plagued Presidency, especially in the example of Secretary Edwin Stanton, becoming allies not rivals. President Obama said he had read the book and used its advice to retain a few of President Bush’s appointees to help him in his first years as President.  I have read the book twice and used its concepts in my own political life.

I suggested to Hasmik, that, perhaps, Prime Minister Pashinyan could further unite and strengthen Armenia by appointing some of the rival political leaders whom he trusted to have Armenia’s success and not personal greed in their hearts.  If as Hasmik suggested, he appointed people who were trained, smart and capable for the position, no matter their political affiliation, perhaps the new Armenia that he describes will come to fruition.

This concept is easy for me to rationalize but hard to implement in this little country torn apart by corruption.  Their economy has been devastated by this greed. Equivalent to millions of dollars that should exist in the government coffers are missing. Funds collected through taxation, donations, and foreign investments have not been used for their designated purposes.

In June, General Manvel Grigoryan was arrested, and his house raided by authorities.  They found caches of money, military supplies, and food that had been intended for soldiers.  The food was being used to feed a private zoo of tigers and bears. This food had been collected by school children and the people of Armenia to feed the young men on the front lines facing the Atziri’s.  My dear friend, Narine, told me of receiving communications from young men she knew on the front who were starving. Knowing that food she had helped collect was in the general’s home to feed his animals upset her, needless to say.

My Armenian friends tell me there are more stories like this than I will ever know.  Hasmik, in our conversation, explained many of the Armenian Diaspora community around the world are hesitant to give financial support without guarantees that their donation will go for the intended purpose.  Hasmik and her organization spend their days attracting financial support for the business community of the Tavush Region. These corruption stories make their work harder.

In his speech in Noyemberyan later in the day of this conversation, Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed the economic concerns of the Tavush Region.  He is from a larger city in Tavush called Ijevan. My friend Anushik was trying to translate the speech for me. I told her to not worry and let us both just listen.  I would ask her questions later. She was worried that I would be bored. I let her know that, although the language was different, this was the world I lived in in America.

It was an unusually familiar feeling to be in a crowded park listening to political speeches.  Mingling in the crowd with my friends, we were only a few feet from the Noyemberyan City Hall steps where Prime Minister Pashinyan was speaking.  I thought about all the times I had been to a gathering like this with rope restrictions and the omnipresent Secret Service. Here we were so close with no ropes, no visible snipers in windows or on rooftops of surrounding buildings.  There was a protective service and local police presence protecting the immediate area and directing the traffic as the crowd overflowed in to the main road to and from town. There were no visible restrictive arrangements for the people in attendance, but the behavior was incredibly respectful.

I watched and listened with my limited understanding.  The crowds cheered at appropriate breaks in the speech.  I understood his saying Armenians must take care of Armenia and joined in the cheering.  The governor of Tavush had introduced the Prime Minister. He joined the mayor of Noyemberyan and his council standing behind the Prime Minister as he spoke.  I had met most of them so I watched them for leads on applause.

Like a political gathering in America (probably anywhere), there were people  there as interested in being seen at the rally as actually paying attention. They talked to each other while the Prime Minister spoke but joined the crowd in cheers and applause.  I am sure they did not hear what spurred the ovation anymore than I understood it, but we all joined and cheered.

Two Armenian Americans who were visiting the Tavush Region had just arrived in Noyemberyan.  They joined me at the rally. They introduced me to the local family who had hosted them all day showing the Americans their businesses.

As is done in Armenia, the Noyemberyan people took us three Americans to a small café for coffee and conversation.  I enjoyed the evening but I had so many questions whirling in my mind about the speech I had heard that I had trouble relaxing.  I could not wait until the next morning when I would be traveling with Hasmik to Dilijan to a fair and an opportunity to hear Pashinyan speak again.  I knew the extended car ride would give me the opportunity to continue our political conversation and I could ask questions about what I had heard.

The next morning, Hasmik, and I left for Dilijan after picking up two of her friends, one of whom was a college teacher who spoke English.  He was an expert in tourism and economics. As I hoped, we talked a bit about the speech from the day before.

Hasmik was happy that I had understood the parts of the speech about Armenians needing to work for Armenia.  She told me that Pahinyan had also talked about the repair of roads in the area. He also talked to the people about excessive woodcutting for warmth this winter.  He was concerned about the effects of deforestation on the ecology of Armenia.

Pashinyan addressed the corruption of previous administrations.

I asked her about the question from an Armenian American at the conclusion of his speech in Noyemberyan.  Hasmik told me the lady said she wanted to know how the American Armenians could help the people of Armenia more.  Pashinyan’s response was a playful comment that the American Armenians could return home and help rebuild here rather than from America.  Now, I understood the laughter I heard after Hasmik’s explanation of his answer.

We arrived in Dilijan where there was a fair going on in the park.  Hasmik’s organization was sponsoring a job fair in Ijevan the next weekend so she was working the booths inviting participants and examining the booths for their style.  She is a well respected and smart woman. It was fun to walk along behind her watching her work even if I had trouble with the language.

The stage was set for Pashinyan to arrive.  There was musical fanfare and even an artist on a tightrope riding a bicycle.  With the crowd at fever Pashinyan arrived and was escorted through the crowd to the stage.  Again, the respect of the crowd was amazing with minimal security although there was definitely a security around him.  

Before he spoke there were some young people singing and dancing traditional Armenian music.  I stood with Hasmik at the entrance area to where the booths were. We were told to leave a path to a booth directly

behind us as Prime Minister Pashinyan would be coming there to partake in the traditional bread and salt welcoming as well as be fed some other foods from the Dilijan region.

Being taller than Hasmik, (taller than the majority of the Armenian population) I had a great view but noticed Hasmik straining her neck to see above the growing crowd.  I helped her on to a stump that was close to us and she had a much better view. We listened to Pashinyan’s speech and cheered with the crowds.

After the speech, Pashinyan started heading our way and Hasmik talked to one of the security guards.  I think she knows everyone of importance. Hasmik told the guard she wanted to say hello to the Prime Minister and introduce this American.  The guard acknowledged her and ushered us to a different area. The crowd was pushing but he got us to a spot on the other side of the booths where Pashinyan would have to pass in order to go to his car.  We held our position despite the pushing crowds and the security guard kept people from getting in front of us.

A few minutes later, Pashinyan approached me first.  He had the tired look of someone who had shaken many hands that day.  I reached out and said, “Barev Dzez”, Armenian for good day. He shook my hand limply and moved on.  Hasmik touched his shoulder with familiarity as she shook his hand and spoke to him rapidly. He turned around and walked towards me. Pashinyan made eye contact with me, reached for my hand and in English said, “Nice to meet you. Thank you.” I was wowed.

Hasmik told me that she had told him that I was here as a Peace Corps volunteer helping the people of Tavush.  I felt very honored that she took the time and he took the time to acknowledge my volunteerism.

The event ended and we walked to the car to return to Noyemberyan. We acquired another passenger, a lady from Noyemberyan who was interested in politics and a friend of Hasmik.  They spoke in Armenian along the way home and I was out of the conversation.

Politics is these little small Armenian towns felt very much like the political machinery in which I worked for so many years in America.  I learned of the nuances of their political system when a few weeks later, Pashinyan resigned in order to force new elections. I will be following the election process with as much interest as I can without knowledge of the language.