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THE GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY FORMED AS A RESULT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, SAMVEL NIKOYAN SAYS
Lilit Poghosyan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Aug 31 2007
Armenia
In view of the amended Constitution when the "master" of the situation
is not the President of the Republic, but rather, the Parliamentary
majority together with the Government it has formed, to what extent
is it normal that the Opposition, having 'rolled up its sleeves',
is preparing for a "coup", viewing the 2008 Presidential elections
as a "last chance" of subverting the political situation in the
country? SAMVEL NIKOYAN, member of the RPA Parliamentary faction,
gives answers to our questions.
"In general, I consider it natural that the Opposition participates in
any election with an aim to drastically change the political situation
and seize power. It is a different matter that some people often run
to extremes; the matter went so far that they even considered the
2005 Constitutional referendum as a 'real chance' for a coup'. Agree
with me that this is something ridiculous. It is the same as to say
a heavy hail or rain will be enough for the Opposition to come to
power. And, if I am not mistaken, one of the political figures would
announce that cutting just one tree in the park near the Opera House
might lead to a shift of power.
Anyway, we do not have concerns with regard to a shift of power,
because while the opposition is in search, deciding who and what kind
of person the united candidate will be and what party he will belong
to, we are engaged in a serious and coordinated work in the marzes
(provinces) and strengthening the structures of our party, preparing
for presidential elections.
In global terms, the problem of the Government is, actually,
solved; under the amended Constitution, the country is governed by
the political faction that has a Parliamentary majority. After the
Parliamentary elections, the National Assembly has a Parliamentary
majority which forms its Government; therefore, the Government
is actually formed, regardless the outcome of the Presidential
elections. This is the logic of the Constitution."
"Inside the political couloirs there are discussions that in case the
alternative candidate, i.e. the one who is not a representative of the
Parliamentary majority, is elected a President, 'the rats will quit
the boat', and like 1998, there will be a rearrangement of forces,
and a new political majority will be formed. Do you see such danger?"
"I have absolutely no such misgivings, because, I repeat, the
Government is actually formed, and if the President elected in 2008
is a representative of another political faction, he will have
no levers to influence either the decisions of the Parliamentary
majority or the Government formed by the latter. It will have to work
with the Government which will have been formed by that Parliamentary
majority; otherwise it may find itself in the status of the Queen of
England. Or, there will be the repetition of the Ukrainian scenario
when the country appeared in a chaotic situation as a result of the
controversies between the President and the Government.
Neither can I agree to the common tendency that in case the
representative of Parliamentary majority is elected a President,
the system of counterbalance will be broken, the Government will
appear in the hands of one political faction, and the country will
move towards despotism. In case of being guided by such logic, one
may state that France is currently a despotic state, because the
President and the leader of the Executive Power are representatives
of the same political faction."
"Can we consider the RPA representative's convincing victory in
constituency No. 15 as a touchstone prior to the upcoming presidential
elections or did the Republican Party thus have one more Deputy in
the Parliament?"
"It is not essential whether the party has 64 or 65 members in the
Parliament. This makes no particular change for us. The important thing
was for the voters, political factions and observers to make sure of
one thing: the election results do not give rise to doubts for anyone.
As you know, there was a problem there: our candidate had won with a
small advantage of votes. In many countries this is considered normal,
and there arises no problem in this regards. In Armenia, unfortunately,
the common practice is that a candidate has to receive twice or
three times more votes for his victory to be accepted. We are not, of
course, inclined to 'spread' the results of one majority constituency
on the whole political arena and draw long-range conclusions from
there. However, this already means something."
"And some analytical circles are puzzling over the issue whether the
RPA has decided to 'pass' its candidate in the first stage or there
may be a second stage as it was during the 1998 and 2003 presidential
elections. Have you set a task of winning in the first stage or are you
going to give such recommendation to your territorial organizations?"
"It would be strange if any political faction or presidential candidate
set a task of succeeding in the second rather than the first stage. If
you have a chance and enjoy public support, it is naturally desirable
for everything to finish in the first stage."
"Do you think it will be possible to avoid a second stage?"
"The prerequisites we have created do really give grounds to assume
that we will manage to succeed in the first stage. I mean the high
results recorded during the elections to the local self-government
bodies; I mean our victory in the Parliamentary elections, the
powerful party resources, the organized, mobile structures we have
in all the communities of the Republic. I also mean the support by
those public and political organizations we have been traditionally
cooperating with.
If we add to that 'Prosperous Armenia's' potential which is already
strong enough, I think in that sense we will really be in a beneficial
situation and will run for these presidential elections quite
successfully. And the truth of my statement is revealed especially
when one compares our potentials with the resources of other possible
political factions against that background, in the context of the
developments on the pro-Opposition front."
"While, according to the circulating rumors, some part of the 'old
members' of the Republican party favor L. Ter-Petrosyan and are ready
to take sides with him upon receiving the first invitation."
"This is not the first time that the issue of 'old vs. new members'
is being discussed. The goal is clear: to try to find artificial
discrepancies, provoke internal instability and create an atmosphere
of distrust inside the party. This has become a practice, a political
approach to present one's own desires as reality and thus solve
certain problems.
We have responded to those speculations many a time, and now I
just want to reiterate what we have always said - each party is a
living organism. And a living organism always needs refreshment and
changes. Moreover, a party is not wine to be judged by the principle
'the older the better.' If a member joining the party recently, be it
a day ago, is much better in terms of his conduct and willingness to
be useful to the common task than the 'old members', which is better
for the party - the old one or the new one?
There is the following issue: to what extent do you assimilate your
own 'self' to the common interests? One thing is clear: during the
recent 17 years (let's bear in mind that or party was the first to
be registered in Armenia), one of the most important pledges of our
success is the atmosphere of solidarity and cooperation inside the
party, and we are obliged to maintain it in future as well.
With regard to the circles 'favoring' Levon Ter-Petrosyan, I can only
guess what gave rise to such conclusions. We have never permitted
ourselves to compromise and humiliate our political opponents; we have
never used blasphemy in the address of the first President. It is not
our mode of action. After all, L. Ter-Petrosyan is the first President
of our state. And the first President of a newly-independent state,
be it as it may, deserves both private and ex-officio respect. Some
people have probably misunderstood our restraint and loyal conduct.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Lilit Poghosyan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Aug 31 2007
Armenia
In view of the amended Constitution when the "master" of the situation
is not the President of the Republic, but rather, the Parliamentary
majority together with the Government it has formed, to what extent
is it normal that the Opposition, having 'rolled up its sleeves',
is preparing for a "coup", viewing the 2008 Presidential elections
as a "last chance" of subverting the political situation in the
country? SAMVEL NIKOYAN, member of the RPA Parliamentary faction,
gives answers to our questions.
"In general, I consider it natural that the Opposition participates in
any election with an aim to drastically change the political situation
and seize power. It is a different matter that some people often run
to extremes; the matter went so far that they even considered the
2005 Constitutional referendum as a 'real chance' for a coup'. Agree
with me that this is something ridiculous. It is the same as to say
a heavy hail or rain will be enough for the Opposition to come to
power. And, if I am not mistaken, one of the political figures would
announce that cutting just one tree in the park near the Opera House
might lead to a shift of power.
Anyway, we do not have concerns with regard to a shift of power,
because while the opposition is in search, deciding who and what kind
of person the united candidate will be and what party he will belong
to, we are engaged in a serious and coordinated work in the marzes
(provinces) and strengthening the structures of our party, preparing
for presidential elections.
In global terms, the problem of the Government is, actually,
solved; under the amended Constitution, the country is governed by
the political faction that has a Parliamentary majority. After the
Parliamentary elections, the National Assembly has a Parliamentary
majority which forms its Government; therefore, the Government
is actually formed, regardless the outcome of the Presidential
elections. This is the logic of the Constitution."
"Inside the political couloirs there are discussions that in case the
alternative candidate, i.e. the one who is not a representative of the
Parliamentary majority, is elected a President, 'the rats will quit
the boat', and like 1998, there will be a rearrangement of forces,
and a new political majority will be formed. Do you see such danger?"
"I have absolutely no such misgivings, because, I repeat, the
Government is actually formed, and if the President elected in 2008
is a representative of another political faction, he will have
no levers to influence either the decisions of the Parliamentary
majority or the Government formed by the latter. It will have to work
with the Government which will have been formed by that Parliamentary
majority; otherwise it may find itself in the status of the Queen of
England. Or, there will be the repetition of the Ukrainian scenario
when the country appeared in a chaotic situation as a result of the
controversies between the President and the Government.
Neither can I agree to the common tendency that in case the
representative of Parliamentary majority is elected a President,
the system of counterbalance will be broken, the Government will
appear in the hands of one political faction, and the country will
move towards despotism. In case of being guided by such logic, one
may state that France is currently a despotic state, because the
President and the leader of the Executive Power are representatives
of the same political faction."
"Can we consider the RPA representative's convincing victory in
constituency No. 15 as a touchstone prior to the upcoming presidential
elections or did the Republican Party thus have one more Deputy in
the Parliament?"
"It is not essential whether the party has 64 or 65 members in the
Parliament. This makes no particular change for us. The important thing
was for the voters, political factions and observers to make sure of
one thing: the election results do not give rise to doubts for anyone.
As you know, there was a problem there: our candidate had won with a
small advantage of votes. In many countries this is considered normal,
and there arises no problem in this regards. In Armenia, unfortunately,
the common practice is that a candidate has to receive twice or
three times more votes for his victory to be accepted. We are not, of
course, inclined to 'spread' the results of one majority constituency
on the whole political arena and draw long-range conclusions from
there. However, this already means something."
"And some analytical circles are puzzling over the issue whether the
RPA has decided to 'pass' its candidate in the first stage or there
may be a second stage as it was during the 1998 and 2003 presidential
elections. Have you set a task of winning in the first stage or are you
going to give such recommendation to your territorial organizations?"
"It would be strange if any political faction or presidential candidate
set a task of succeeding in the second rather than the first stage. If
you have a chance and enjoy public support, it is naturally desirable
for everything to finish in the first stage."
"Do you think it will be possible to avoid a second stage?"
"The prerequisites we have created do really give grounds to assume
that we will manage to succeed in the first stage. I mean the high
results recorded during the elections to the local self-government
bodies; I mean our victory in the Parliamentary elections, the
powerful party resources, the organized, mobile structures we have
in all the communities of the Republic. I also mean the support by
those public and political organizations we have been traditionally
cooperating with.
If we add to that 'Prosperous Armenia's' potential which is already
strong enough, I think in that sense we will really be in a beneficial
situation and will run for these presidential elections quite
successfully. And the truth of my statement is revealed especially
when one compares our potentials with the resources of other possible
political factions against that background, in the context of the
developments on the pro-Opposition front."
"While, according to the circulating rumors, some part of the 'old
members' of the Republican party favor L. Ter-Petrosyan and are ready
to take sides with him upon receiving the first invitation."
"This is not the first time that the issue of 'old vs. new members'
is being discussed. The goal is clear: to try to find artificial
discrepancies, provoke internal instability and create an atmosphere
of distrust inside the party. This has become a practice, a political
approach to present one's own desires as reality and thus solve
certain problems.
We have responded to those speculations many a time, and now I
just want to reiterate what we have always said - each party is a
living organism. And a living organism always needs refreshment and
changes. Moreover, a party is not wine to be judged by the principle
'the older the better.' If a member joining the party recently, be it
a day ago, is much better in terms of his conduct and willingness to
be useful to the common task than the 'old members', which is better
for the party - the old one or the new one?
There is the following issue: to what extent do you assimilate your
own 'self' to the common interests? One thing is clear: during the
recent 17 years (let's bear in mind that or party was the first to
be registered in Armenia), one of the most important pledges of our
success is the atmosphere of solidarity and cooperation inside the
party, and we are obliged to maintain it in future as well.
With regard to the circles 'favoring' Levon Ter-Petrosyan, I can only
guess what gave rise to such conclusions. We have never permitted
ourselves to compromise and humiliate our political opponents; we have
never used blasphemy in the address of the first President. It is not
our mode of action. After all, L. Ter-Petrosyan is the first President
of our state. And the first President of a newly-independent state,
be it as it may, deserves both private and ex-officio respect. Some
people have probably misunderstood our restraint and loyal conduct.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress