“Culture is inseparable from politics” in Armenia, and Onnik Krikoryan’s guess was right, as “Armenia’s pop stars come out in support of” the republican party, the blogger notes at his Oneworld Multimedia blog:
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS; A group of Armenian pop stars have announced today their support to the governing Republican Party.
Shushan Petrosian, Aramo, Suzan Margarian, Sirusho, Zaruhi Babayan, Arame, Arsen, Arminka, Alla Levonian (she was, by the way, appointed last week UNICEF Armenia Good Will Ambassador) and some others said they will be touring across the country to sing for voters and urge them to vote for the Republican Party.
Lragrox at his “Journalistic Notes and Observations” blog diggs deeper, revealing, that Serge Sargsyan has bought appartmens for Aramo and Forsh, and expressing his surprise at Shushan Petrossian’s joining the party – as she has been using her ARF aunt Alvard Petrossian’s name and connections everywhere, especially in her tours abroad. But, maybe “Shusho owes something to Azatich[Serge Sargsyan] as well?”, the blogger speculates.
Anyway, the Lragrox reminds the singers, that its not the Republicans who have been helping them all this time organizing concerts, etc, as Shushan Petrossian has said, but the Government of Armenia, using the administrative levers they possess.
To conclude, let me add my personal comment here, made at Lragrox’s blog:
…artists have nothing to do in politics… full stop!!!
Well, I don’t think singers as citizens have no right to campaign on behalf of a political party, but it’s definitely a problem when you see how and they do this in Armenia. Plus, there’s the issue of whether payments have been made or if they’re being declared in campaign expenses or not. I don’t think it’s cheap to hold some of these lavish (by Armenian standards) concerts, and I’d definitely like to know whether they’re being declared. In the 2003 election I think they got round this issue by having them staged under the umbrella of Baze, which is even worse in my opinion, but anyway.
You know, when Rouben Hakhverdian sings for the ARF-D I can believe he genuinely supports the party and can’t be too concerned by his presence. However, when these guys come out in support for a governmental party, and basically because government-linked sponsors such as Mika Ltd, bankroll their career, it’s really dodgy. Especially when you see Sirusho sing for Prosperous Armenia one week only to find her supporting the Republican Party the next. Therefore, I have to wonder whether the decision as to who these guys support is made up top, or whether it’s determined by the highest bidder.
Artist are overrated. They are just simple people who make money by selling thier songs or singing for money. One shouldn’t choose a doctor just because some singer sang a song for him. Unfortuatly a lot of people do so though.