Political forces want, but don’t really believe that it is possible to hold a really fair election in line with the democratic standards.
We have already informed that issues regarding the upcoming parliamentary election in Armenia were discussed at the meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and European Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso. During a joint press conference that took place after the meeting with Jose Manuel Barroso, President Serzh Sargsyan stated, “I reasserted the commitment of the Armenian side to organize and conduct electoral processes in line with the international standards. We completely realize the importance of conducting a free, fair and democratic election for the future development of our country.” It was said also about the relations between Armenia and the EU and President Serzh Sargsyan stated, “We are decisive in continuing radical and comprehensive reforms and we consider the reforms that are conducted in our country also as a part of cooperation with the EU. We have welcomed and share the principle ‘more support in return for more reforms’ of the EU.”
European Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso in his turn said, “I clearly said to the president that we fully support the president’s reforms and agenda of modernization and we stick to furthering our cooperation with Armenia in the framework of Eastern Partnership. I am glad that reforms have made some progress.”
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The European Commission chairman also emphasized that he thought that the parliamentary and then the presidential elections were a very important stage for Armenia.
Yesterday we tried to get comments on these meetings. Heritage faction MP Anahit Bakhshyan who was in Mashtots Park among the protesters while talking with us on the phone found time, although it was a holiday, and answered our questions. Anahit Bakhshyan said that she would like very much to believe that it would be so and in the end, it would be possible to hold a free and fair election in line with the European standards in our country too, “In different times, in different places, the same promise has been voiced and you know, I would like very much to believe, but the reality and conditions that should guarantee such an election are not there. There are no conditions, the existence of which would make such an election possible. It first of all refers to the electoral roll, to the fact that the citizens in the Diaspora were not given the right to vote, which I think is a flagrant violation. It also refers to methods of supervising the election; part of our proposals on that were not accepted. It refers to various processes that take place these days, when total Republicanization is carried out in schools and colleges. There are many such things, which don’t allow us to say ‘Yes, I believe what the president says.’ However, I would certainly like it very much, if there was a free and fair election, God willing, the election will be just like that.”
We asked Aram Safaryan, the secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary faction, whether the establishment really attached importance to holding an election in line with the European standards and whether the society could expect that the election would be just like that. Our interlocutor said in response, “I personally don’t have any doubts that the sentiment that there is no alternative in our country to a free and fair election in line with the democratic standards, I should say the European standards, prevails on the Armenian political stage. Our geopolitical situation, accumulated internal and external problems can be resolved only under conditions of having a government elected as a result of a free and democratic election inside the country. In case of forming a government acceptable for everyone, our society is ready to unite and jointly meet internal and external challenges. And I am convinced that if we, the main political forces in Armenia, take that responsibility and conduct this election in an atmosphere of understanding and at the proper level, we will be able to successfully respond to all challenges in the upcoming years.”
We noted that the opposition political forces were not particularly excited and did not believe that there would be a fair election. In the PAP representative’s opinion, there is a pessimistic approach that nothing will ever change in Armenia and we will have a revolutionary situation before or after every election. According to Aram Safaryan, “This is the worst thing, this is the hopelessness that has spread through many members of our society. If this atmosphere doesn’t change and if pessimists’ pessimism comes true, it will be hard for me to offer any other remedies to fix the situation.”
MARGARIT YESAYAN
