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A COURSE ON FURTHER DEMOCRATIZATION
Leonid Martirossian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=646:-a-course-on-further-democratization&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 06:12
On April 20, in fact, the pre-election campaign for the next
presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is scheduled
for July 19, 2012, was launched. In accordance with the schedule
approved by the NKR CEC, the nomination of presidential candidates
should start on April 20. In other words, over the next three months
the comparatively measured life of the Republic will undergo certain
changes and is likely to become more dynamic, both due to the very
essence of the election campaign and the natural expectations of the
society for the coming political events.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has entered the third decade of its
independence, and for this period, it has held various-level elections
- presidential, parliamentary and municipal. The current elections
of the NKR President will be the fifth national elections of the
head of the Artsakh Republic. That is, we can already safely state
our big experience in organizing and holding democratic elections,
which were usually observed by international observers, getting their
highest assessments.
That is why the very fact of the success of all previous electoral
processes should not in any way be a ground for complacency. Moreover,
with each election, we are witnessing increasing levels of its
organization and conduct, which in itself is a guarantee for maximum
objectivity of the voting process as an important form of the free
will of citizens and, consequently, the domestic political stability.
We can be sure that the bar raised in the past to a sufficient height
will not be reduced. The people of Artsakh that has already selected
the democratic way of development will not deviate from the course
for further democratization of the social and political life of the
Republic, improvement of public institutions and creation of a civil
society. First of all, because it is extremely interested in this, as
only in a truly democratic society one can rely on the realization of
his civil rights and liberties. By the way, the top leadership of the
Republic is also interested in this, as only a legitimately elected
power, endowed with the vote of confidence by the voters, can rely
on the support of citizens for the implementation of the state policy
in all the spheres of the public-political and social-economic life,
as well as effectively protect the NKR positions in the international
arena. In such a coincidence of interests, real democracy is possible
as an objective precondition for the further strengthening of the
sovereign Karabakh statehood.
It is well known that any election in our Republic, and especially
presidential, besides a purely domestic vector, also contain
a vector of foreign policy, which, taking into account the fact
of the international non-recognition of the NKR, acquires special
urgency. It is needless to say that the NKR presidential elections
are in the focus of attention of many international structures,
as it happened repeatedly in the past. It is clear, because as we
have "applied for" independence and joining the family of civilized
nations, so all our steps will be verified with the generally accepted
democratic standards for the compliance with the principles and
rules of building a democratic state. That is, when holding regular
elections, we actually have a kind of test on political maturity,
which we, fortunately, stand deservingly. It should also be considered
that, whether we like it or not, international organizations dealing
with issues of democracy and human rights, compare the level of
democratization in our country and in Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that according to international experts, this
comparison is in our favor. One of the important arguments here is
that the power in Nagorno-Karabakh is transferred in a civilized
way, via national elections and not dynastically, as it happened in
Azerbaijan. For the international image of the NKR "works" also the
high electoral culture of our people, which was repeatedly noted by
independent international observers. So, the commitment of Artsakh to
democratic norms during the construction of its independent statehood
and its apparent success in this direction deserve the support of
the international community.
Surely, we are far from thinking that the upcoming presidential
elections and their level will directly influence the process of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement. Unfortunately (and we have
mentioned this repeatedly), in our case, the influential global power
centers are still guided by the principle of political expediency,
ignoring the legal framework, which should be the basis of settlement.
We believe that in assessing the situation and searching a mutually
acceptable solution to the problem, one should proceed from the current
reality and objective truth. And one of the factors that create this
very reality is the democratically held elections.
In any case, we hold different-level elections, first of all, for
ourselves. Independently creating our own capable authorities on the
basis of free will, we create the necessary prerequisites for the
further successive development of the NKR statehood and consolidation
of its sovereignty, for ensuring a decent life for the present and
future generations of the Artsakh people.
From: A. Papazian
Leonid Martirossian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=646:-a-course-on-further-democratization&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 06:12
On April 20, in fact, the pre-election campaign for the next
presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is scheduled
for July 19, 2012, was launched. In accordance with the schedule
approved by the NKR CEC, the nomination of presidential candidates
should start on April 20. In other words, over the next three months
the comparatively measured life of the Republic will undergo certain
changes and is likely to become more dynamic, both due to the very
essence of the election campaign and the natural expectations of the
society for the coming political events.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has entered the third decade of its
independence, and for this period, it has held various-level elections
- presidential, parliamentary and municipal. The current elections
of the NKR President will be the fifth national elections of the
head of the Artsakh Republic. That is, we can already safely state
our big experience in organizing and holding democratic elections,
which were usually observed by international observers, getting their
highest assessments.
That is why the very fact of the success of all previous electoral
processes should not in any way be a ground for complacency. Moreover,
with each election, we are witnessing increasing levels of its
organization and conduct, which in itself is a guarantee for maximum
objectivity of the voting process as an important form of the free
will of citizens and, consequently, the domestic political stability.
We can be sure that the bar raised in the past to a sufficient height
will not be reduced. The people of Artsakh that has already selected
the democratic way of development will not deviate from the course
for further democratization of the social and political life of the
Republic, improvement of public institutions and creation of a civil
society. First of all, because it is extremely interested in this, as
only in a truly democratic society one can rely on the realization of
his civil rights and liberties. By the way, the top leadership of the
Republic is also interested in this, as only a legitimately elected
power, endowed with the vote of confidence by the voters, can rely
on the support of citizens for the implementation of the state policy
in all the spheres of the public-political and social-economic life,
as well as effectively protect the NKR positions in the international
arena. In such a coincidence of interests, real democracy is possible
as an objective precondition for the further strengthening of the
sovereign Karabakh statehood.
It is well known that any election in our Republic, and especially
presidential, besides a purely domestic vector, also contain
a vector of foreign policy, which, taking into account the fact
of the international non-recognition of the NKR, acquires special
urgency. It is needless to say that the NKR presidential elections
are in the focus of attention of many international structures,
as it happened repeatedly in the past. It is clear, because as we
have "applied for" independence and joining the family of civilized
nations, so all our steps will be verified with the generally accepted
democratic standards for the compliance with the principles and
rules of building a democratic state. That is, when holding regular
elections, we actually have a kind of test on political maturity,
which we, fortunately, stand deservingly. It should also be considered
that, whether we like it or not, international organizations dealing
with issues of democracy and human rights, compare the level of
democratization in our country and in Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that according to international experts, this
comparison is in our favor. One of the important arguments here is
that the power in Nagorno-Karabakh is transferred in a civilized
way, via national elections and not dynastically, as it happened in
Azerbaijan. For the international image of the NKR "works" also the
high electoral culture of our people, which was repeatedly noted by
independent international observers. So, the commitment of Artsakh to
democratic norms during the construction of its independent statehood
and its apparent success in this direction deserve the support of
the international community.
Surely, we are far from thinking that the upcoming presidential
elections and their level will directly influence the process of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement. Unfortunately (and we have
mentioned this repeatedly), in our case, the influential global power
centers are still guided by the principle of political expediency,
ignoring the legal framework, which should be the basis of settlement.
We believe that in assessing the situation and searching a mutually
acceptable solution to the problem, one should proceed from the current
reality and objective truth. And one of the factors that create this
very reality is the democratically held elections.
In any case, we hold different-level elections, first of all, for
ourselves. Independently creating our own capable authorities on the
basis of free will, we create the necessary prerequisites for the
further successive development of the NKR statehood and consolidation
of its sovereignty, for ensuring a decent life for the present and
future generations of the Artsakh people.
From: A. Papazian