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THE ELECTIONS AND THE KARABAKH ISSUE
Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Nov 28 2007
Despite being illiterate and absurd, the letter which the "group
of six" (Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Aram Z. Sargsyan,
Babken Arakksyan Hrant Bagratyan, Alik Arzoumanyan) have recently
sent to Terry Davis, the Council of Europe Secretary General,
Rene van der Linden, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe ,and Christian Shtorhal, Head of the OSCE
"Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights", gives rise
to some concerns Undoubtedly, the international organizations and
observers, as well as the Embassies operating in Armenia will take
an unprecedented interest in the February 19 presidential elections.
The states competing with one another in the region are trying to
condition their attitudes towards presidential elections by the
new developments expected in our region after the presidential
elections of Armenia and Azerbaijan and especially by the prospect
of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Therefore, at the current
stage, the countries interested in Armenia are trying to gain maximum
information in order to use it as levers for influencing the newly
elected President after February 19.
In the meantime, we believe that most of them do not absolutely care
to what extent the upcoming elections will be fair and legitimate. For
them, the most important thing is to gain levers required for imposing
their will upon Armenia after February 19.
In that regard, Armenia's having maximum weak and vulnerable
authorities after February 19 is advantageous to some of them. And
it is conceivable; after the presidential elections to be held in
Armenia and Azerbaijan, the leaders of both countries will face a
most serious test in terms of the settlement of the Karabakh issue.
That's why the international community will try to conduct a
"simultaneous monitoring" for extending the means of pressure against
the two countries. The party holding the elections in a more spotless
and transparent manner will be given the opportunity to support
its arguments during the upcoming negotiations. And vice versa, the
party managing to collect more bulky information will find itself in
a graver condition.
Therefore, apart from solving the issue authority, the upcoming
presidential elections will be a test in "democracy" for the whole
country and its people.
To stand that test and to have firmer positions in comparison with our
rival before the upcoming negotiations, we are from now on obliged
to approach the February 9 voting from the angle of the supremacy
national and state interests. To achieve that, we are required to
refrain from changing the electoral campaign into various black PRs,
inciting mutual hostility or contributing to the destabilization of
the country's internal political situation.
It is also obvious that all our attempts aimed at disputing the
election results and creating an unhealthy atmosphere around them will
directly impact our country's international reputation and weaken
its positions. And Azerbaijan will immediately benefit from that,
by drawing parallels between the government formed in Armenia and
the Aliev-led tyranny regime existing in Azerbaijan.
And the issue is whether it is possible to avoid such a sad destiny
in the tense situation of the pre-election period, when each of
he candidates will be trying his best to extort maximum number of
votes. Moreover, whether it isn't naïve to demand that the native
revolutionaries realize the supremacy of national and state interests,
give up the attempts of destabilizing the internal political situation
and so on.
In our opinion, the problem does not consist in the Opposition;
neither in the pretentious behavior of its individual leaders. They
will make a fuss under any circumstances. The issue is whether the
majority of the people are able to realize that they are the master
of the nation and the state and hence, whether they are able to elect
a leadership capable of settling the Karabakh conflict - the major
problem faced by the nation.
--Boundary_(ID_5NjLR75wtvnYuvkOFr/koQ)--
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Nov 28 2007
Despite being illiterate and absurd, the letter which the "group
of six" (Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Stepan Demirchyan, Aram Z. Sargsyan,
Babken Arakksyan Hrant Bagratyan, Alik Arzoumanyan) have recently
sent to Terry Davis, the Council of Europe Secretary General,
Rene van der Linden, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe ,and Christian Shtorhal, Head of the OSCE
"Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights", gives rise
to some concerns Undoubtedly, the international organizations and
observers, as well as the Embassies operating in Armenia will take
an unprecedented interest in the February 19 presidential elections.
The states competing with one another in the region are trying to
condition their attitudes towards presidential elections by the
new developments expected in our region after the presidential
elections of Armenia and Azerbaijan and especially by the prospect
of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Therefore, at the current
stage, the countries interested in Armenia are trying to gain maximum
information in order to use it as levers for influencing the newly
elected President after February 19.
In the meantime, we believe that most of them do not absolutely care
to what extent the upcoming elections will be fair and legitimate. For
them, the most important thing is to gain levers required for imposing
their will upon Armenia after February 19.
In that regard, Armenia's having maximum weak and vulnerable
authorities after February 19 is advantageous to some of them. And
it is conceivable; after the presidential elections to be held in
Armenia and Azerbaijan, the leaders of both countries will face a
most serious test in terms of the settlement of the Karabakh issue.
That's why the international community will try to conduct a
"simultaneous monitoring" for extending the means of pressure against
the two countries. The party holding the elections in a more spotless
and transparent manner will be given the opportunity to support
its arguments during the upcoming negotiations. And vice versa, the
party managing to collect more bulky information will find itself in
a graver condition.
Therefore, apart from solving the issue authority, the upcoming
presidential elections will be a test in "democracy" for the whole
country and its people.
To stand that test and to have firmer positions in comparison with our
rival before the upcoming negotiations, we are from now on obliged
to approach the February 9 voting from the angle of the supremacy
national and state interests. To achieve that, we are required to
refrain from changing the electoral campaign into various black PRs,
inciting mutual hostility or contributing to the destabilization of
the country's internal political situation.
It is also obvious that all our attempts aimed at disputing the
election results and creating an unhealthy atmosphere around them will
directly impact our country's international reputation and weaken
its positions. And Azerbaijan will immediately benefit from that,
by drawing parallels between the government formed in Armenia and
the Aliev-led tyranny regime existing in Azerbaijan.
And the issue is whether it is possible to avoid such a sad destiny
in the tense situation of the pre-election period, when each of
he candidates will be trying his best to extort maximum number of
votes. Moreover, whether it isn't naïve to demand that the native
revolutionaries realize the supremacy of national and state interests,
give up the attempts of destabilizing the internal political situation
and so on.
In our opinion, the problem does not consist in the Opposition;
neither in the pretentious behavior of its individual leaders. They
will make a fuss under any circumstances. The issue is whether the
majority of the people are able to realize that they are the master
of the nation and the state and hence, whether they are able to elect
a leadership capable of settling the Karabakh conflict - the major
problem faced by the nation.
--Boundary_(ID_5NjLR75wtvnYuvkOFr/koQ)--
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress