According
to the politologist Aghasi Yenokian this is the reason that international institution
tries to obligate Armenia the constitutional amendments.The PACE chairman
Rene van der Linden’s rough declarations after his meeting with the political
elite of Armenia, which addressee was also the opposition cast doubt not only
in the political and public circles. Yesterday the head of " the Center of
Political and International researches" Aghasi Yenokian replied to those
declarations considering those meetings "rather sensible" and "non
rational"."PACE demanded from the RA authorities and opposition
to make the people to say "yes" to the constitutional amendments. We
can make up some conclusions; first that the PACE thinks that the political elite
of Armenia is the representative of the people indeed and has real levers to influence
on the public opinion or it simply demands to rig the results of the referendum,"-
Mr. Yenokian said.Speaking on the rough declarations of the chairman after
meeting the opposition Aghasi Yenokian said that the reason of it was that "the
opposition did what the authorities were doing in the context of the relations
with PACE. The representatives of the authority were also meeting with the PACE
representatives, not honoring commitments. The same did the opposition in that
time which was taking part in the discussions of Constitutional amendments in
the person of the representative from the "Justice" bloc Shavarsh Kocharian,
making some interpretations in the text of Constitutional amendments. It seemed
he had come to a conclusion but it was found out that he cheated and decided to
say "no" to the referendum of the Constitution. That means the opposition
did what Robert Kocharian was doing for achieving those agreements. This is nonsense
from which we can conclude that there isn’t the political power in Armenia with
which the international instances can make discussions, negotiate. It becomes
clear that the opposition can be led by at that minute interests and give promises
to the PACE and not fulfill it for reaching to priority in a certain date period".
Mr. Yenokian only made a supposition why the opposition did in that way; "Either
the opposition finally understood that the position of "Republic" party,
simply to refuse the referendum, was righter and adopted it, or the opposition
also understood that it was difficult to make the politically apathetic public
to go to the referendum and to say "yes" to the Constitution, chose
the version of non-loser. The opposition also negotiated with the authorities
round a question agreeing to take part in the discussions instead expecting to
get what the authorities had promised and it refused of its decision not getting
it."At any case A. Yenokian concluded that as the authority as well as
the opposition doesn’t have a sense of responsibility in negotiating with the
international institutions.But another side of the question is that if the
public would listen to the opposition if the latter decided to say "yes"
to the constitutional amendments.A. Yenokian stressed first of all that the
society didn’t trust in both the authority and opposition and then added; "I
think that the people won’t simply go for the referendum irrespective of the thing
what the opposition will say and the referendum will be failed. The society doesn’t
know at all what the Constitution is for because our Constitution has been infringed
so many times in the previous years that it has become worthless. Besides it is
important who produces those amendments; Robert Kocharian, the coalition, opposition.
The matter isn’t Robert Kocharian’s legitimacy but the matter is that the current
political system; executive, legislative and juridical authorities produce these
amendments whom the society doesn’t trust so any suggestion of that system can’t
be acceptable."It became clear from the visit of the PACE chairman that
institution considered important the referendum of constitutional amendments.
According to A. Yenokian’s observation the reason is that the CE tries to take
such steps which will record success, will be adopted by the Armenian authorities
especially when the PACE and authorities have come to the agreement round constitutional
amendments because it was also the matter of PACE authority. "For example
when they were demanding to punish those who rigged the elections, who used violence
against peaceful demonstrators, reopen "A1+", it is understandable that
R. Kocharian won’t ever do it. If the CE isn’t ready to oppose to the RA authorities
in such problems it remains to stress on the constitutional reforms especially
when this is an important corn stone of democratic developments. PACE hasn’t understood
that these authorities aren’t the representatives of the people and coming to
the agreement with the authorities or the opposition doesn’t mean to come to the
agreement with the society because people have more serious problems to solve
that these reforms are. I think PACE had to take certain steps to establish a
legitimate authority in Armenia with which it would be possible to negotiate round
constitutional reforms expecting its influence on the decision of the society
if those reforms are indeed important for the CE,"-A. Yenokian concluded.Naira
Mamikonian
