STOP FAKE
The most discussed topic of the last two days in politics of Armenia is the hunger strike announced by presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan. A number of candidates have visited him, and some of them even do not exclude the possibility of joining him at some point. Some people say during this election this hunger strike was the only noble action aimed at fighting against the uncompetitive environment. Maybe Ghukasyan is honest in his motives to make hunger strike, maybe others who appreciate his efforts are honest too.
However, the environment that has been generated around this issue is not honest at all. In fact some civic groups, by paying so much attention to this issue, are putting a taboo on it not letting others give different estimations other than considering Ghukasyan’s strike self-sacrifice. The absurd thing is that Aram Harutyunyan, who is known as a candidate that always nominates himself for president during all elections, has announced that he is going on hunger strike starting on February 7 and will demand from all other candidates to withdraw their candidacies.
The impression is that the government is so happy about the elections being so easy that they want to refrain even from very small electoral fraud they will have to do in case of Hrant Bagratyan’s and Raffi Hovhannisyan’s participation in elections. It is possible that the government is very interested in this hunger strike demarche. Among other things, it is a great opportunity to show to the international community that elections are proceeding in such tense environment that more than one candidate have decided to get into this extreme form of struggle.
The most negative side of this process is not even this one. By an irony of faith this hunger strike demarche is taking place on the threshold of the 25th anniversary of Karabakh liberation movement. In 1988 intellectuals, scientists and artists went on hunger strike as this was the only method of struggling against the Soviet rule. In 25 years, going on hunger strike with such shows and non-political demands devaluates even the perception of hunger strike as an institute and tool of fighting for political issues.
The most dangerous thing is that all this I being done under the image of fake civic society. It is everyone’s right to go on hunger strike and even choose issues to raise. However, when they announce that everyone who eat are working for the government, it becomes more evident that staying hungry through hunger strike action is the shortest way to become closer to the power for some people.
