Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has presented an extensive overview on his Facebook page, addressing the steps taken by the “Civil Contract” party from its founding to the change of power, which have been misunderstood by the public.
We present the post below:
“After the 2018 revolution, one of the most widespread discourses in public discussions has been the exposure of the authorities’ wrong steps and attempts to push them toward right steps.
In the field of public discussion, this is, of course, understandable and acceptable, but in the logic of the authorities’ activity, it is extremely dangerous, because the search for ‘right’ steps can paralyze the authorities and ultimately also the country, because there is always the possibility of making any decision better; there always and everywhere can be, and inevitably will be, observations, criticisms, suggestions, each with justifications and arguments more beautiful than the other.
But the authorities must be able to make decisions, naturally, right decisions. But to what extent must those decisions be right, how precise and ideal? This question is urgent especially today in the context of the history and ideology of the political force ruling in Armenia, ‘Civil Contract’.
‘Civil Contract’ (CC) is the only opposition political force of the Third Republic that has been able to fulfill its promise of bringing about a change of power. But the paradox is that CC did this exclusively thanks to a ‘sequence of wrong steps.’ From the pre-founding days of CC, ‘right’ processes were taking place in Armenia’s opposition field, regarding which ‘Civil Contract’ adopted ‘wrong’ positions.
Moreover, I put no irony into the designations ‘right’ and ‘wrong’; these designations derive from the moods and perceptions prevailing in the public at the given moment. ‘Civil Contract’ ultimately won thanks to its consistent strategy of ‘wrong steps,’ because that political force understood what it was doing wrong and why, and what problem it was solving by doing so.
The purpose of those consistent mistakes was to create a new plane of thinking, not to walk the beaten paths of inevitable defeats, the resolve to turn dialogue with the public sometimes into debate, sometimes into quarreling, sometimes into accusation.
At that time we knew that if we did everything right, we would lose, just as those opposition forces lost who, starting from 1994, acted rightly, including us, during joint struggle with those forces, and lost.
But we decided to act by making mistake after mistake, thereby freeing ourselves from the bonds of the aspiration to be right, because the imperative of being right does not allow you to take a step, because there is a possibility that it will be a wrong step. And so, at the decisive moment the inevitable question arises: is it worth taking such a step, and what if it is wrong, a fatal mistake? It is at this point that paralysis sets in.
And so, it is only the resolve to be wrong, to err, that gives the possibility to move forward. So that the reader is clear about what is being said, I present a brief history of the mistakes of the ‘Civil Contract’ party:
2014: At that time CC was still a civic initiative, but had a certain visibility in the political field. The quartet of ARF-‘Heritage’-ANC-PAP had decided to start a political process that was to be some kind of mixture of a bourgeois-democratic revolution and a change of power. CC clearly and decisively decided not to participate in it and was met with fierce contempt. They considered it a Serzh project, a bought opposition, and so on and so forth. The process ended with Hovik Abrahamyan being appointed prime minister instead of Tigran Sargsyan.
2015, the constitutional referendum — At that time the opposition field had decided to bring about a change of power, considering the constitutional referendum the most opportune occasion for it. CC considered it a false agenda; moreover, it said that under the constitution presented by Serzh Sargsyan, which was to fully enter into force in April 2018, it is easier to bring about a change of power than under the previous constitution. Despite the pressures, demands, exhortations, and curses of the opposition field, CC did not participate in the process. The process ended with the oppositionists finally going home. But during that time CC was accused of being a bought, controllable opposition.
2016, the seizure of the Police Regiment (PPR) — CC went to the scene of events with a ‘No to violence’ position, saying that it does not accept the use of force for any political purpose, let alone shooting and killing Armenia’s citizens, whatever justification it may have. At that time the symbol of ‘struggle with open hands’ was born. But CC was wrong here too, because in an environment and atmosphere where hitting, shooting, even killing was considered legitimate, those calling for struggle with open hands had to be considered bought, a controllable opposition, and so on. At that time too, calls were made to throw CC’s representatives into trash bins; ultimately, under whistles, CC left the square and refused to return. The process ended with those who initiated it renouncing the demand for at least Serzh Sargsyan’s immediate resignation, surrendering, and everyone going home.
2017, parliamentary elections — CC, which was part of the ‘Yelk’ alliance, refused the usual post-election policy of change of power and recorded that the election results were formed as a result of the voters’ voting. It said directly that it is our citizens who took bribes and voted, so let them enjoy the authorities they ‘chose.’ CC was accused of begging for a mandate, of being bought.
2018, Armenia — Almost everyone had come to terms with the fact that Serzh Sargsyan was to be reproduced. Many had even arranged and planned their lives for the next 10-15 years. CC declares revolution, and part of the people laugh at it, another part accuses it of being bought, insisting that CC wants to give a democratic veil to Serzh Sargsyan’s reproduction. There are opposition forces that also intend not to come to terms with Serzh Sargsyan’s reproduction. But they offer old formulas of struggle. CC categorically rejects them, earning yet another accusation of splitting the opposition field, of being bought. And what happened afterwards, you all know.
I am writing all this not at all for a historical overview. The greatest threat to a revolutionary authority formed under conditions of universal sympathy and love is the urge to be ‘right.’ Everyone has perceived the revolution in their own way, but the authority that created the content of the revolution must take exclusively strategic steps, not fearing, sometimes consciously making mistakes, in cases where waiting for the right decision gives no possibility to move forward and ultimately leads to paralysis, to the incapacity to make decisions.
CC must continue ‘that path of consistent mistakes’ that it began in 2014 and even before that. Because that is the path of moving Armenia forward. We must renounce our aspirations to be in the comfort zone of ‘being loved,’ because we did not come to power to stay here; we came to power to form a new plane of thinking for our people, for our state, and to raise Armenia to that new plane. And we will do that by continuing our strategy of consistent mistakes. Because for considering any decision right or wrong, of fundamental importance is the angle from which you view it.
There is no greater mistake than marking time. And it is only the resolve to err that can lead us forward, along the path of seeking the truth. Every representative of CC — in the National Assembly, in the Government, in Local Self-Government Bodies — must have the resolve to err, provided that these are conscious mistakes that derive from the program, ideas, history, ideals of the ‘Civil Contract’ party and from the unnegotiable dream of strengthening Armenia, of making Armenia a powerful state.
It is only our courage to err that gives the resolve to go after the truth and brings Armenia ever new victories. It is only the courage to lose that brings us to victory.
P.S. I prepared this text yesterday based on my speech at the expanded meeting held at the ‘Civil Contract’ party office. If text-based media publish it, I ask that it be titled: ‘The Resolve to Err: The True Path.'”
