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U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S SERIOUS ACCUSATION
JAMES HAKOBYAN
13:30 20/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29002
Regarding the Armenian presidential election the spokesman for the
U.S. State Department stated that the United States agrees with the
OSCE/ODIHR evaluation. She also highlighted unequal opportunities
for contestants, namely blurred distinction between the activities
of the state and the ruling party.
Interestingly, the New York Times which noted this problem in an
article on the Armenian presidential election states, "Initial reports
suggested that Mr. Sargsyan's party had made some inappropriate use
of government resources to promote his candidacy, a common criticism
of incumbent candidates in former Soviet republics."
This is a serious accusation which the Armenian society cannot
understand fully. The Armenian society mainly focuses on the so-called
physical expressions of electoral fraud whereas the deeper reason is
that the ruling party, the RPA, has usurped the Armenian state.
The RPA campaign headquarters actually serves as interim government
in time of every national election. The RPA has replaced the state
by itself. Physical expressions of electoral fraud can be different.
There may be no need for fraud, and the voting may pass in heavenly
peace with the ruling party's candidate campaigning for the
opposition. It will depend on the circumstances.
The question is who makes decisions. For example, when a case of fraud
is reported to the law enforcement bodies or the court, the court does
not pass but publishes a decision passed by the RPA. The same goes
for any decision of any other public administration body. When it is
crucial in terms of the system, the ruling party makes a decision
which is communicated to the relevant public administration body
for implementation.
This is not a secret to anyone, and double voting or open voting or
ballot stuffing or vote buying or duress is not the main problem.
These are the metastases of the core problem. It is important to
fight them but the struggle will be effective only if the source of
trouble is clearly identified by the public.
The presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan tried to draw the public's
attention to this circumstance, announcing that the electoral process
is organized by the RPA which has replaced the state by itself so in
any development the process is illegal by itself.
The public discussed everything but the issue put forth by the
candidate on hunger strike.
The U.S. State Department's evaluation is but an accusation of
usurpation of power by the RPA which was spelled out diplomatically
because it is already the problem of the Armenian society to outlaw
and condemn the RPA.
JAMES HAKOBYAN
13:30 20/02/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/29002
Regarding the Armenian presidential election the spokesman for the
U.S. State Department stated that the United States agrees with the
OSCE/ODIHR evaluation. She also highlighted unequal opportunities
for contestants, namely blurred distinction between the activities
of the state and the ruling party.
Interestingly, the New York Times which noted this problem in an
article on the Armenian presidential election states, "Initial reports
suggested that Mr. Sargsyan's party had made some inappropriate use
of government resources to promote his candidacy, a common criticism
of incumbent candidates in former Soviet republics."
This is a serious accusation which the Armenian society cannot
understand fully. The Armenian society mainly focuses on the so-called
physical expressions of electoral fraud whereas the deeper reason is
that the ruling party, the RPA, has usurped the Armenian state.
The RPA campaign headquarters actually serves as interim government
in time of every national election. The RPA has replaced the state
by itself. Physical expressions of electoral fraud can be different.
There may be no need for fraud, and the voting may pass in heavenly
peace with the ruling party's candidate campaigning for the
opposition. It will depend on the circumstances.
The question is who makes decisions. For example, when a case of fraud
is reported to the law enforcement bodies or the court, the court does
not pass but publishes a decision passed by the RPA. The same goes
for any decision of any other public administration body. When it is
crucial in terms of the system, the ruling party makes a decision
which is communicated to the relevant public administration body
for implementation.
This is not a secret to anyone, and double voting or open voting or
ballot stuffing or vote buying or duress is not the main problem.
These are the metastases of the core problem. It is important to
fight them but the struggle will be effective only if the source of
trouble is clearly identified by the public.
The presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan tried to draw the public's
attention to this circumstance, announcing that the electoral process
is organized by the RPA which has replaced the state by itself so in
any development the process is illegal by itself.
The public discussed everything but the issue put forth by the
candidate on hunger strike.
The U.S. State Department's evaluation is but an accusation of
usurpation of power by the RPA which was spelled out diplomatically
because it is already the problem of the Armenian society to outlaw
and condemn the RPA.