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REFLECTIONS ON THE ELECTION
David Gharabekyan, independent analyst
KarabakhOpen
09-07-2007 11:06:39
The election campaign in NKR ends July 17. Unlike the previous
campaign when one of the candidates had advantage over the others and
got 86 percent of votes, now the race is highly tense. This activity
is due to the revelation of the shortcomings of the Electoral Code,
as well as of the system of public administration and the legislation,
especially with regard to residency. The CEC passed a "Solomon ruling"
and registered all the candidates. The cause of this legal paradox
is that the Constitution does not contain excuses regarding the time
and reason of absence of the presidential candidate, whereas the
NKR Civil Code contains a statement which allows for absence. It is
evidence to both the imperfection of the constitutional rights and
freedoms of citizens but also imperfection of the judicial system
and the electoral legislation.
The gaps the NGOs and political forces failed to notice at one time
are now attacking the campaign and the politicians. The questions are
whether the acting government has the right to support a candidate and
what sanctions are foreseen for such officials, the organization of
meetings of candidates at military units, departments of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs, as well as the voting of policemen and military
personnel, participation of representatives of NGOs in the election
campaign are becoming more urgent.
The second "symptom" is that before the government used to make
decisions without caring much about their legitimacy and fulfillment,
whereas now the formal, outward compliance with the law, as well
as its real legitimacy are gradually becoming one of the essential
elements of public politics. For the time being, the choice of the
mechanism and the culture of problem solving have not been devised
in the new reality yet.
The election disappointed because the programs of the candidates and
the common principles set forward by the four parliament parties do
not include the common spiritual and moral principles underlying the
Armenian society, as well as any traditional society. In our case,
the basic value is the Armenian Apostolic Church. The second pillar
is moral which includes elements of religious moral, national law
and government institutions.
Empires collapsed due to spiritual and moral collapse, and for our
society, departure from basic values signifies destruction in all
the other spheres of life.
It is commendable that the presidential candidate Masis Mayilyan
emphasized the importance of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the
national liberation war and the Armenian society in his meetings, who
is a member of the parish council of St. Savior Church of Shushi. The
problems of education and the importance of eliminating drawbacks are
the cornerstone of the election program of the presidential candidate
Vania Avanesyan.
The candidate endorsed by the four parliament parties Bako Sahakyan
stresses solution of social problems and national security, he helped
erect khachkars and monuments to the killed soldiers in the villages,
as well as helped communities raise funds for the repair and building
of schools.
The rule of law and social justice upheld by Masis Mayilyan involves
creation of a system of social security and a policy on assistance
to young families and raise of birth rate. The same is one of the
priorities of his main opponent. At the same time, the solution of
these problems, which are priorities for Bako Sahakyan, is impossible
without the elimination of total corruption, protectionism, etc., which
necessitates system reforms Masis Mayilyan upholds. In addition, the
government officials and oligarchs are up for a cosmetic reform, aiming
to leave the state of things the same, and are trying to mask their
egoistic plans with support for the candidate put up by the government.
This election campaign is not free from myths. Most myths were
invented about Masis Mayilyan. The aim of the authors is clear -
denigrate the candidate.
The open debate and analysis of the programs of candidates during
meetings with voters and in the media helped crush lots of myths. The
myth that Masis Mayilyan never displayed civil activity before the
election and did not express a civil stance on the important issues
of the public life did not stand criticism. Over The past two years
the candidate has had several meetings with the representatives of
youth organizations and other NGOs, including the Nagorno-Karabakh
committee of Helsinki Initiative 92, expressed the stance of NKR on
trafficking in people, illegal drugs, exchange of hostages and POWs,
took an active part in the parliamentary and local elections, helped
NGOs set up links with the world.
According to the next myth, Masis Mayilyan breaches the electoral
legislation. It is said to support this myth that the election
campaign set out long before his registration, and accusation came that
propaganda against the common candidate may undermine national unity.
The myth that the outcome of the election is preset and the candidate
put up by the government will win is compromising for the country and
the ability of the government to hold a fair and free election. In
addition, this election campaign is unprecedented by the financial,
technical and other resources, tension indicated by myths concocted
by some NGOs, government officials, plots of the pro-government media,
analyses by independent political scientists..
It is clear that the authors of these rumors, who appear as renowned
scholars, experts on politics, unbiased journalists, forget that
it is enough to read the papers and the Internet to find out if one
candidate or another launched the campaign earlier than the time set
by the law, and if yes, what provisions of the law and moral rules
the candidate broke.
Now about national unity. It is hardly possible to build a new society
on lie, intimidation, group interests. The dismissal of the worker
of Artsakh Energy James Ghahramanyan, prohibition of monitoring of
penitentiaries by the direction of the Civic Action Center Albert
Voskanyan after his letter to the Central Electoral Commission,
the statements by the members of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun's Central
Committee Vahan Hovanisyan and Kiro Manoyan will hardly help create
a firm foundation for solving the national problems.
Kiro Manoyan's statement that the election of the common candidate
will be helpful to the recognition of NKR is groundless, for the
recognition or non-recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh is not on the
agenda of the talks.
A series of myths and doubts regarding the head of the National
Security Service that the government officials, groups and clans
controlling certain spheres of life can hold on to their posts after
he comes to power and manipulate him were washed away as well. He has
deviated from proposals and moves made by the abovementioned people,
and showed that he is likely to follow the principles the political
parties agreed on and take into account the moods of the society
to continue to uphold his vision of resolution of the problems of
the society.
The other myth is that the use of the administrative resource and the
support of the pro-government media guarantee victory in the elections.
However, most representatives of the government created problems for
the person who is believed to be the heir of the acting government
with their impulsive behavior and sharp pronouncements.
One way or another, the race has not started yet, and during the race
the candidate will have to answer a number of difficult questions,
for instance, on their stance on the policy of their predecessors,
fundraising, the cause of the current crisis and the wrongdoers,
as well as specify some points in their programs and respond to the
hypothetical accusations, doubts.
The final of the election campaign is expected to be tense and
exciting, the favorites of the campaign will try to use their potential
at full. Bako Sahakyan who used to go in for basketball will try to
avoid pressing and make decisions under changing circumstances. The
experienced negotiator Masis Mayilyan will show his ability to persuade
and use his relatively small resource at full for effective solution
of complicated problems.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
David Gharabekyan, independent analyst
KarabakhOpen
09-07-2007 11:06:39
The election campaign in NKR ends July 17. Unlike the previous
campaign when one of the candidates had advantage over the others and
got 86 percent of votes, now the race is highly tense. This activity
is due to the revelation of the shortcomings of the Electoral Code,
as well as of the system of public administration and the legislation,
especially with regard to residency. The CEC passed a "Solomon ruling"
and registered all the candidates. The cause of this legal paradox
is that the Constitution does not contain excuses regarding the time
and reason of absence of the presidential candidate, whereas the
NKR Civil Code contains a statement which allows for absence. It is
evidence to both the imperfection of the constitutional rights and
freedoms of citizens but also imperfection of the judicial system
and the electoral legislation.
The gaps the NGOs and political forces failed to notice at one time
are now attacking the campaign and the politicians. The questions are
whether the acting government has the right to support a candidate and
what sanctions are foreseen for such officials, the organization of
meetings of candidates at military units, departments of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs, as well as the voting of policemen and military
personnel, participation of representatives of NGOs in the election
campaign are becoming more urgent.
The second "symptom" is that before the government used to make
decisions without caring much about their legitimacy and fulfillment,
whereas now the formal, outward compliance with the law, as well
as its real legitimacy are gradually becoming one of the essential
elements of public politics. For the time being, the choice of the
mechanism and the culture of problem solving have not been devised
in the new reality yet.
The election disappointed because the programs of the candidates and
the common principles set forward by the four parliament parties do
not include the common spiritual and moral principles underlying the
Armenian society, as well as any traditional society. In our case,
the basic value is the Armenian Apostolic Church. The second pillar
is moral which includes elements of religious moral, national law
and government institutions.
Empires collapsed due to spiritual and moral collapse, and for our
society, departure from basic values signifies destruction in all
the other spheres of life.
It is commendable that the presidential candidate Masis Mayilyan
emphasized the importance of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the
national liberation war and the Armenian society in his meetings, who
is a member of the parish council of St. Savior Church of Shushi. The
problems of education and the importance of eliminating drawbacks are
the cornerstone of the election program of the presidential candidate
Vania Avanesyan.
The candidate endorsed by the four parliament parties Bako Sahakyan
stresses solution of social problems and national security, he helped
erect khachkars and monuments to the killed soldiers in the villages,
as well as helped communities raise funds for the repair and building
of schools.
The rule of law and social justice upheld by Masis Mayilyan involves
creation of a system of social security and a policy on assistance
to young families and raise of birth rate. The same is one of the
priorities of his main opponent. At the same time, the solution of
these problems, which are priorities for Bako Sahakyan, is impossible
without the elimination of total corruption, protectionism, etc., which
necessitates system reforms Masis Mayilyan upholds. In addition, the
government officials and oligarchs are up for a cosmetic reform, aiming
to leave the state of things the same, and are trying to mask their
egoistic plans with support for the candidate put up by the government.
This election campaign is not free from myths. Most myths were
invented about Masis Mayilyan. The aim of the authors is clear -
denigrate the candidate.
The open debate and analysis of the programs of candidates during
meetings with voters and in the media helped crush lots of myths. The
myth that Masis Mayilyan never displayed civil activity before the
election and did not express a civil stance on the important issues
of the public life did not stand criticism. Over The past two years
the candidate has had several meetings with the representatives of
youth organizations and other NGOs, including the Nagorno-Karabakh
committee of Helsinki Initiative 92, expressed the stance of NKR on
trafficking in people, illegal drugs, exchange of hostages and POWs,
took an active part in the parliamentary and local elections, helped
NGOs set up links with the world.
According to the next myth, Masis Mayilyan breaches the electoral
legislation. It is said to support this myth that the election
campaign set out long before his registration, and accusation came that
propaganda against the common candidate may undermine national unity.
The myth that the outcome of the election is preset and the candidate
put up by the government will win is compromising for the country and
the ability of the government to hold a fair and free election. In
addition, this election campaign is unprecedented by the financial,
technical and other resources, tension indicated by myths concocted
by some NGOs, government officials, plots of the pro-government media,
analyses by independent political scientists..
It is clear that the authors of these rumors, who appear as renowned
scholars, experts on politics, unbiased journalists, forget that
it is enough to read the papers and the Internet to find out if one
candidate or another launched the campaign earlier than the time set
by the law, and if yes, what provisions of the law and moral rules
the candidate broke.
Now about national unity. It is hardly possible to build a new society
on lie, intimidation, group interests. The dismissal of the worker
of Artsakh Energy James Ghahramanyan, prohibition of monitoring of
penitentiaries by the direction of the Civic Action Center Albert
Voskanyan after his letter to the Central Electoral Commission,
the statements by the members of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun's Central
Committee Vahan Hovanisyan and Kiro Manoyan will hardly help create
a firm foundation for solving the national problems.
Kiro Manoyan's statement that the election of the common candidate
will be helpful to the recognition of NKR is groundless, for the
recognition or non-recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh is not on the
agenda of the talks.
A series of myths and doubts regarding the head of the National
Security Service that the government officials, groups and clans
controlling certain spheres of life can hold on to their posts after
he comes to power and manipulate him were washed away as well. He has
deviated from proposals and moves made by the abovementioned people,
and showed that he is likely to follow the principles the political
parties agreed on and take into account the moods of the society
to continue to uphold his vision of resolution of the problems of
the society.
The other myth is that the use of the administrative resource and the
support of the pro-government media guarantee victory in the elections.
However, most representatives of the government created problems for
the person who is believed to be the heir of the acting government
with their impulsive behavior and sharp pronouncements.
One way or another, the race has not started yet, and during the race
the candidate will have to answer a number of difficult questions,
for instance, on their stance on the policy of their predecessors,
fundraising, the cause of the current crisis and the wrongdoers,
as well as specify some points in their programs and respond to the
hypothetical accusations, doubts.
The final of the election campaign is expected to be tense and
exciting, the favorites of the campaign will try to use their potential
at full. Bako Sahakyan who used to go in for basketball will try to
avoid pressing and make decisions under changing circumstances. The
experienced negotiator Masis Mayilyan will show his ability to persuade
and use his relatively small resource at full for effective solution
of complicated problems.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress