Politics is practically unheard of in the town of Berd. Topics like the state of Armenian-Turkish relations, the Karabakh conflict and ruling regime, pro or con, seem to be of little concern for the residents of Shamshadin.

Most residents have enough on their plate just trying to get by; trying to make ends meet. No wonder that there is precious little going on in the local offices of various political parties.

We spoke with residents and found out that there are no local branches of any opposition parties in the town. Members of the “Orinats Yerkir Party” (Rule of Law) Party, a member of the ruling coalition, usually hold meetings at the local bus station. Shamshadin residents we spoke to told us that bus station employees also belong to the party. Why? – Because the Minister of Transportation happens to be a member of the Rule of Law Party as well.

The local branch of the ARF (Dashnak Party) occupies a pretty big location in Berd but we found it closed when we visited on Sunday and Monday.

The owner of a nearby kiosk said that the office isn’t opened every day but just when they feel like it.

The offices of the ruling Republican Party and that of the “Yerkrapah Organization” (a volunteer defense group) are located in a vacant building in the center of town. The doors to the building were open when we arrived but we spotted no one inside. There wasn’t even any furniture. Only the Republican Party’s flag hanging outside identified the place as the party’s office. There was another large room in the building with the words “Veterans’ Recreation Room” written out front. It too was empty. The local office of the Prosperous Armenia Party was located not far from the empty office of its coalition partner, the Republican Party

Prosperous Party Local Leader – “What I wouldn’t give for Tsarukyan to take over”

The conversation we had with Nina Adamyan, who runs the local branch of Gagik Tsarukyan’s “Bargavaj Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia Party – PAP), wasn’t all politics either. She preferred to extol the accomplishments of party boss Tsarukyan. “I have been in charge of the local office here from day one, when the party was founded in 2006. I was familiar with Mr. Tsarukyan’s reputation and what he had been doing and I supported him. I am quite devoted to the party and somehow balance my job with my work here as branch office head. I’d even give up my other job in the interests of the party if necessary. It’s all due to the personality of Mr. Tsarukyan himself. He is such a unique personality that he has attracted capable and intelligent people around him – people who can organize and get things done in the correct fashion.”

In her position as local party head, Nina Adamyan is trying to assist the residents of Shamshadin. “I place all my hopes on Mr. Tsarukyan, as a good man and party leader. Just like a child who is hit goes running to the protection of his mother, I too was looking for the protection of a great leader. I have a strong personality but felt the need to surround myself with people running a great party. Right now, my hope is to get Mr. Tsarukyan to take this area under his sponsorship,” Mrs. Adamyan confessed. “When they publicize the accomplishments of Mr. Tsarukyan on T.V., people are in awe and regardless of all else gravitate to his side. He has even started to reach out to these border villages that are in need of his assistance. Some people state that Mr. Tsarukyan can afford to assist others. No; that’s not the case at all. It’s not the case of having extra funds to spend. Many others are well-off as well but they don’t act like Mr. Tsarukyan. If he sees a hungry person in the street, it’s impossible for him to stroll by without lending a helping hand. All of us should rally around that man.”

Nina Adamyan took the time to painstakingly tell us about the assistance Gagik Tsarukyan has provided to various border communities. “You have probably seen the number of people who are coming out to support him wherever he goes on T.V. It’s the same here. People watch T.V. here too and see that Mr. Tsarukyan gave $10,000 to Vanush Khanamiryan just so he could be comfortable in his golden years. Name me anyone else who even gave the man $1,000 or even 100 drams in appreciation for his years of work in enriching the culture of Armenia. Isn’t it just wonderful that the Gagik Tsarukyan Foundation is helping our athletes? The man doesn’t think about the fact that all this largesse is setting him back financially a bit. He places greater importance on the fact that can assist others.”

Nina Adamyan – Too many political parties in Armenia doing nothing except bickering

After expressing her appreciation of Mr. Tsarukyan, Nina Adamyan also touched on some political issues. “I’m opposed to having so many political parties in Armenia. None of them are interested in preserving the Armenian character. There are few parties that aren’t engaged in the struggle for power. We have had issues with Azerbaijan and went to war, spilt blood. Now, for whom and for what should we fight?” asks Mrs. Adamyan who also participated in the war.

In her estimation, the other political parties make use of the administrative machinery to insure votes come election time. “At each election the parties pull out all the stops and use the levers at their disposal, especially regarding employment, to force people to vote for them. The woman with a broom in her hand sweeping the street is also afraid of losing her job if she doesn’t do as she is told. Our party doesn’t stoop so low. We don’t bribe people with a few pennies so that they can eat today and go hungry tomorrow. We want to build a country and strengthen the nation. We aren’t interested in partisan politics and petty squabbling for position. Politics prefers that things be done on the up and up. Some might state the opposite but I don’t agree. It just goes to show how others see things and they act accordingly,” says the PAP branch head.

The PAP organized a debate of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols in the town of Berd and it turns out that the position of Gagik Tsarukyan garnered the support of the local political parties.

“We comply with the thesis of Gagik Tsarukyan – the Armenia-Turkish border can be opened only if there are no preconditions. I cannot repeat what someone else has already said. I see no preconditions in the Protocols. Yes, the border must be opened but we will not pay a bribe for it to be so. And what a bribe; no, never. Our party will never will never go down that road,” Ms. Adamyan assures us.

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