Vardan Ghukasyan’s and Burnash’s Past

In his response to the Republican Member of Parliament Ashot Aghababyan nicknamed Burnash, Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan actually reported a crime. He stated that as mayor of Gyumri he twice “made” a member of parliament out of Aghababyan.

The Criminal Code hardly envisages a punishment for a mayor who “made someone an MP”. Perhaps because it is an accepted practice – the head of the municipal authorities often decides the outcome of national elections.

This crime report did not discredit Aghababyan but Ghukasyan and the electoral system. Actually, he acknowledged that he has infringed the freedom of the citizens to vote to a person he describes as “without kith or kin”. He discredited the proud people of Gyumri who tolerated such a mayor, plus voted for such an unworthy person.

The law enforcement bodies of Armenia should react to Vardan Ghukasyan’s statement otherwise they will confirm the illegality of Ashot Aghababyan’s election, as well as Vardan Ghukasyan’s right to “make someone a member of parliament”.

There is one more nuance in this story. Vardan Ghukasyan calls Aghababyan a person “without kith or kin”. “Who were you?” This expression is of common use within the ruling circles and intellectual-elite marginalized castes.

Decisions in Armenia are made by people of incredible and non-elite past who got rich either on account of the war or post-soviet privatization or criminal deals. It is rare to find within the so-called elite people those who have a good education, and finally hereditary aristocracy. This aristocracy, as a rule, feels at home in the country and works for its welfare and does not pursue the goals of plundering as soon as possible because tomorrow they can be thrown out of the “elite”. No one can take away real aristocracy.

It is very important to have aristocracy, elite traditions at least to have something to compare the emerging nouveau riche with. Who does Vardan Ghukasyan compare Aghababyan with calling the latter without kith or kin? With himself? Is there any origin of hereditary and aristocratic pride in him? Or is reputation not determined by aristocracy and intelligence but by the position in the criminal world? And if he made Aghababyan a member of parliament, is he higher on the hierarchy of the criminals.

A nation should not allow itself to be governed by “semi-literate people”, said recently the Russian businessman Levon Hayrapetyan of Artsakh origin. We can add that the nation should be ashamed of semi-literate rulers who are unable to make an articulate sentence, who listen to low-standard music, have nicknames and follow criminal rules.

Some day the nation will feel ashamed, and I wish this moment came as soon as possible.