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AMERICAN WAY OF INTERFERENCE
by Ruben Markarian
Golos Armenii, Armenia
Jan 16 2007
"A big team is functioning at the US embassy in Armenia engaged in
preparations for the parliamentary election in Armenia", Mediamax
agency quoted US Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Godfrey in Armenia
as saying at a news conference.
Members of the team meet representatives of the political circles,
civil society and the government of our republic to ensure that the
parliamentary election will be free and fair, Godfrey said. To put
it mildly, this statement is a little bit strange because it has not
caused a strong reaction though it is like meddling in the domestic
affairs of another state which may not be allowed even to such a
superpower like the USA.
One may understand the USA's concern about fair and free election
in Armenia and about all the processes in Armenia and around it. One
can also understand Armenia's concern about the processes in the USA,
especially those which are directly connected with our region.
It is clear that in the age of globalization and the Internet all the
countries of the world became closer to each other. But everything
is good within reasonable limits. One thing is to wish something and
quite another thing is to meddle in the election processes of another
state and to speak about that openly even under a beautiful slogan
of ensuring a free and fair election.
First, true democracy means sovereignty and the will of people. The
conduct of free and fair election is one thing, and the conduct of
such an election under diktat of a special team from the US embassy is
quite another thing. It is almost Iraq. And the world community thinks
that the Iraqi experience can be hardly assessed as a positive one.
What will happen if tomorrow other embassies in Armenia also say about
having such teams? What would remain from Armenia's sovereignty in
that case? What if Armenian ambassador to the USA would have made
such a statement? One can only imagine what noise would rise in the
USA. It is absurd. But why does the USA, which pretends to the role
of the world arbiter, show such an evil deed?
The point is not at all in the political force which will gain victory
during the parliamentary or presidential elections in Armenia. Nobody
is naive so much to rule out priorities of the candidates and
political teams supported by the USA during the parliamentary and
especially the presidential elections.
But even the very useful for Armenia millennium challenges programme
does not justify Anthony Godfrey's statement about the existence
of special team at the US embassy which deals with the forthcoming
elections in Armenia. Because not this special team will hold elections
in Armenia but the people of Armenia. We, but not Anthony Godfrey,
are responsible for justice and freedom of the choice, we: Armenian
residents and citizens are answerable for that choice but not the
temporary team of Anthony Godfrey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Ruben Markarian
Golos Armenii, Armenia
Jan 16 2007
"A big team is functioning at the US embassy in Armenia engaged in
preparations for the parliamentary election in Armenia", Mediamax
agency quoted US Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Godfrey in Armenia
as saying at a news conference.
Members of the team meet representatives of the political circles,
civil society and the government of our republic to ensure that the
parliamentary election will be free and fair, Godfrey said. To put
it mildly, this statement is a little bit strange because it has not
caused a strong reaction though it is like meddling in the domestic
affairs of another state which may not be allowed even to such a
superpower like the USA.
One may understand the USA's concern about fair and free election
in Armenia and about all the processes in Armenia and around it. One
can also understand Armenia's concern about the processes in the USA,
especially those which are directly connected with our region.
It is clear that in the age of globalization and the Internet all the
countries of the world became closer to each other. But everything
is good within reasonable limits. One thing is to wish something and
quite another thing is to meddle in the election processes of another
state and to speak about that openly even under a beautiful slogan
of ensuring a free and fair election.
First, true democracy means sovereignty and the will of people. The
conduct of free and fair election is one thing, and the conduct of
such an election under diktat of a special team from the US embassy is
quite another thing. It is almost Iraq. And the world community thinks
that the Iraqi experience can be hardly assessed as a positive one.
What will happen if tomorrow other embassies in Armenia also say about
having such teams? What would remain from Armenia's sovereignty in
that case? What if Armenian ambassador to the USA would have made
such a statement? One can only imagine what noise would rise in the
USA. It is absurd. But why does the USA, which pretends to the role
of the world arbiter, show such an evil deed?
The point is not at all in the political force which will gain victory
during the parliamentary or presidential elections in Armenia. Nobody
is naive so much to rule out priorities of the candidates and
political teams supported by the USA during the parliamentary and
especially the presidential elections.
But even the very useful for Armenia millennium challenges programme
does not justify Anthony Godfrey's statement about the existence
of special team at the US embassy which deals with the forthcoming
elections in Armenia. Because not this special team will hold elections
in Armenia but the people of Armenia. We, but not Anthony Godfrey,
are responsible for justice and freedom of the choice, we: Armenian
residents and citizens are answerable for that choice but not the
temporary team of Anthony Godfrey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress