THE FORMATION OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMIZING HEADQUARTER

The opposition casts doubt on the effectiveness
of the activities of systemizing council.

The leadership of “National Unity” Party decided on the sitting held on March 6, to negotiate with all parties for holding free and fair elections, irrespective of their orientations. Deputy head of “National Unity” Party Gagik Tadevosyan informed us that they had already conducted preliminary negotiations with People\’s Party of Armenia: “I myself have talked to Grigor Harutiunyan. PPA isn\’t against the idea of systemizing headquarter. We have also conducted preliminary negotiations with Aram Karapetyan, the leader of “New Times” Party. But in general, it is better to discuss this after registration of parties and candidates. We\’ll discuss this idea with all opposition forces and form a systemizing council. The new formed council may solve a lot of problems: to control the elections, organized electoral campaign, work with observers and media”.
While some opposition forces don\’t agree with that idea. For example, Suren Surenyants, the speaker of “Republic”, had noticed in the press that the way of parties\’ co-operation was alliance. “When the parties don\’t enter into an alliance, I don\’t understand the function of those intermediate bodies. There are bilateral and multilateral meetings, our experience of work systematization on the commissions, the opportunity of holding joint demonstrations against irregularities. That is, there is no necessity to form a new body for that purpose.”
Secretary of PPA administration Grigor Harutiunyan though affirmed that they weren\’t against that idea but also noted: “Unfortunately, it is hard to form an effective structure”. PPA administration\’s next secretary Stepan Demirchyan had told about that structure earlier: “In my opinion, the parties have such a structure that negotiations aren\’t a problem, even though without that council. If the parties have obvious arrangements, they may co-operate without that council”. He informed us that the above-mentioned was his personal opinion. “I don\’t think, there is a necessity for the formation systemizing council as the parties have experience of co-operation. But if there is, PPA is always ready to collaborate for free, fair and transparent elections”.
“Rule of Law” faction\’s secretary Heghine Bisharyan also said that their party had always considered important the “collaboration with those political parties, which are ready to hold free and fair elections. We have positive attitudes towards NU\’s approach, but the time will show how the systematization process will be.”
NDU leader Vazgen Manukyan, who took such an initiative in January but failed, told on this occasion: “I think that the part of parties, which are going to participate in the elections may be unified for the formation such a headquarter. But those parties which have representatives in the commissions are more important. I don\’t think that all opposition parties will be unified, there is no meaning, but if 5-6 parties join it will be already useful.”