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THE VOTERS HAVE THE LAST SAY
Editorial
Yerkir.am
April 20, 2007
The state is a castle in which the nation lives, and the nation is
a castle in which the elected representatives live, however, these
representatives are not always elected by the nation.
People spend all their money to spend the New Year holidays as nicely
as they can. The same situation is on the political arena - many
political forces are spending lots of money to be able to spend the
upcoming five years as nicely as they can. In this situation, however,
the problem lies not with the one who buys but the one who sells.
The right to vote is every citizen's constitutional right that is aimed
at forming a government that would take care of the population. If
the citizens sell their right to prosperous life in their country no
political forces or individuals can guarantee the citizens' security
in a country towards which they have an attitude of merely market
relations. Those who sell their votes also sell the votes of the
coming generations.
Our electoral campaigns are like the Greek Olympic Games - once in four
years the entire Hellada enjoyed a period of peace, wars were stopped
and everyone was engaged in preparations for the Olympic Games. We
have the same situation - everyone is engaged in preparations, but
the difference is that in our situation we have an atmosphere of
intolerance and complete indifference.
Intolerance dominates the electoral campaign while indifference is
prevalent among the population. The elections are rigged, they do not
change anything and cannot give us anything - this is the widespread
opinion prevalent in the society.
Citizens are the ones to be blamed for electoral violations and not
those who perpetrate these violations because the citizens isolate
themselves from the electoral processes by not participating in
the elections. Electoral passiveness is a serious crime that is not
legally punished but constitutes an immoral act against the self and
the country.
Every month we pay taxes. These taxes go to the government in whose
elections we do not want to participate. This means that we are
willing to pay to someone whose services we do not need at all.
Let us not participate in the elections, let us reject our civic duty
of forming a government. Let us put aside our demands and our right
to have social and political justice.
Both the legislative and the executive structures must have the
support of the nation and the nation in its turn must have confidence
in the leadership it has elected. Today there is a huge gap between the
authorities and the people. It is impossible to fill in this gap but it
is still possible that bridges of mutual understanding might be built.
The people must restore their control over the processes undergoing
in the country. The government must see people not as potential
electorate but as a national unity whose confidence it has received
for the coming five years.
Otherwise, who needs elections?
We need elections. No one can determine our future better than
ourselves.
And those who do not participate in the elections are selling their
votes. Do participate in the election, do not allow the vote-stealers
to deprive you of your right to live in freedom.
Do not allow the National Assembly elections to be turned into
a bazaar.
Every single citizen of the country must realize that his vote will
be decisive in the elections.
We must restore the moral value of our votes. Otherwise, the
government will be formed by the people who do not participate in
the elections. No one has the right to determine the future of the
entire nation.
Election bribe is the centuries' old cancer of the society. All nations
and all state suffer because of this disease. It is incurable even
in our times.
However, we should not think about curing it, we should think about
eradicating it.
The citizens of Armenia have the power to eradicate it. They can
refuse to e bribed. They can struggle for the protection of their
rights giving their votes to individuals and political parties that
are fighting against social injustice.
Both those who sell their votes and those who buy them have an equal
share of guilt. We want justice, and our cause is to defend our right
to justice.
Our choice is for ideas and platforms, and we say no to bribes
and fraud.
Editorial
Yerkir.am
April 20, 2007
The state is a castle in which the nation lives, and the nation is
a castle in which the elected representatives live, however, these
representatives are not always elected by the nation.
People spend all their money to spend the New Year holidays as nicely
as they can. The same situation is on the political arena - many
political forces are spending lots of money to be able to spend the
upcoming five years as nicely as they can. In this situation, however,
the problem lies not with the one who buys but the one who sells.
The right to vote is every citizen's constitutional right that is aimed
at forming a government that would take care of the population. If
the citizens sell their right to prosperous life in their country no
political forces or individuals can guarantee the citizens' security
in a country towards which they have an attitude of merely market
relations. Those who sell their votes also sell the votes of the
coming generations.
Our electoral campaigns are like the Greek Olympic Games - once in four
years the entire Hellada enjoyed a period of peace, wars were stopped
and everyone was engaged in preparations for the Olympic Games. We
have the same situation - everyone is engaged in preparations, but
the difference is that in our situation we have an atmosphere of
intolerance and complete indifference.
Intolerance dominates the electoral campaign while indifference is
prevalent among the population. The elections are rigged, they do not
change anything and cannot give us anything - this is the widespread
opinion prevalent in the society.
Citizens are the ones to be blamed for electoral violations and not
those who perpetrate these violations because the citizens isolate
themselves from the electoral processes by not participating in
the elections. Electoral passiveness is a serious crime that is not
legally punished but constitutes an immoral act against the self and
the country.
Every month we pay taxes. These taxes go to the government in whose
elections we do not want to participate. This means that we are
willing to pay to someone whose services we do not need at all.
Let us not participate in the elections, let us reject our civic duty
of forming a government. Let us put aside our demands and our right
to have social and political justice.
Both the legislative and the executive structures must have the
support of the nation and the nation in its turn must have confidence
in the leadership it has elected. Today there is a huge gap between the
authorities and the people. It is impossible to fill in this gap but it
is still possible that bridges of mutual understanding might be built.
The people must restore their control over the processes undergoing
in the country. The government must see people not as potential
electorate but as a national unity whose confidence it has received
for the coming five years.
Otherwise, who needs elections?
We need elections. No one can determine our future better than
ourselves.
And those who do not participate in the elections are selling their
votes. Do participate in the election, do not allow the vote-stealers
to deprive you of your right to live in freedom.
Do not allow the National Assembly elections to be turned into
a bazaar.
Every single citizen of the country must realize that his vote will
be decisive in the elections.
We must restore the moral value of our votes. Otherwise, the
government will be formed by the people who do not participate in
the elections. No one has the right to determine the future of the
entire nation.
Election bribe is the centuries' old cancer of the society. All nations
and all state suffer because of this disease. It is incurable even
in our times.
However, we should not think about curing it, we should think about
eradicating it.
The citizens of Armenia have the power to eradicate it. They can
refuse to e bribed. They can struggle for the protection of their
rights giving their votes to individuals and political parties that
are fighting against social injustice.
Both those who sell their votes and those who buy them have an equal
share of guilt. We want justice, and our cause is to defend our right
to justice.
Our choice is for ideas and platforms, and we say no to bribes
and fraud.