TO KEEP THE ARMY LIKE THE APPLE OF ONE’S EYE

Interview with presidential candidate VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN

“The Armenian Army is one of the main achievements of our statehood not only as a feature characteristic of a sovereign state, but also as a chief guarantee for Armenia’s security, and why not, as a serious role-player in terms of regional security issues.
In this regard, the opinions different politicians have been recently expressing in their speeches that one of their first steps should be reducing the Army etc. derives from the flawed and unsubstantiated thesis that the Army is a heavy burden on the state.
But I believe that the right way is to develop and improve the Army, so as to eliminate the people’s fears regarding their children’s service and to make the Army more secure, more organized, healthier and more intellectual. Because the Army is not just a tool for waging a war; it is a place for bringing up a healthy citizen, a place where an individual is physically tampered and prepared.
Besides, there’s a very important factor that’s not being considered either: if the state stimulates the local production, encouraging the latter becomes a major task. And the Army is the best consumer of the local production in terms of the uniform, shoes or food. That’s to say, the Army itself is not a heavy burden, as some people try to present; it is just necessary to be able to organize the business properly.
And the most important thing is what policy you conduct. Considering its history, as well as the existing reality, Armenia is obliged to preserve its national-state dignity and protect its own interests. And that is impossible without an army. Because, even the peaceful agreements with the neighbors provide no guarantee that the neighbors will not display new aggressive ambitions in the visible future or have their mouths wide open again.
That’s to say, the situation in the region is not yet stable enough for us to afford such an abrupt change. If this kind of promise sounds serious to some people, it is very dangerous; if, nonetheless, it is nothing more than populism, it is not moral enough.
Whoever is elected as the country’s President must keep the Army like the apple of his eye and develop it, so as the people will have a stronger belief in the Army. So as sending one’s child to the Army will not be viewed as a tragedy, but vice versa, turn into a celebration. A powerful, well-fed and a mentally strong army brought up with the national spirit is not a burden on society; it’s a public value.
Let’s not forget that in many countries an educated and literate officer corps was a school for the most important mechanisms required for forming the national elite and increasing a sense of honor and dignity.”
“According to a practice accepted all over the world, a presidential candidate of any country chooses this or that sphere as a main target for the years of his future presidency. Is it possible to have more than one target spheres, problems which the presidential candidate promises to solve as a priority in case of being elected?”
“First of all, the establishment of justice in society; people most of all complain about the absence of justice.
Let’s start with the police. We see two very dangerous tendencies here. First, the policeman himself is unprotected both in terms of enough salary and pension and the opportunity of carrying out his competences in a literate manner. A policeman who is oppressed cannot perform his job properly. A policeman who is oppressed is sure to become a figure complying with political orders. This also concerns the force structures.
If we want to really eradicate crimes, we must vest serious competences in our police; at the same time, a policeman’s work should be supervised in a rather strict manner to eliminate the existing distrust among the people.”
To be continued
ANAHIT YESAYAN

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