When our talented lawyers working on the new Electoral Code wrote in the document to be discussed that only 8 people – observer and journalist – can be present at the polling station, immediately a question arose in me: when the President (or later any other leader of the state) fulfills his civic duty at School No. 24 named after Spandaryan, so whether a demand will be set forth that only 8 cameras should fix this moment. Or, when the same lawyers write that for implementing elections observation mission, there should be an invitation from the RA President, the government, the National Assembly or CEC, I immediately imagined how the mentioned authorities are sending invitations to Artur Sakunts or Barseghyan Levon.
Certainly, it would be very desirable for the authors of the draft that the elections at the polling stations are covered only by the journalists “pleasant” to the government authorities, and the election process is followed only by the government “GONGOs”. However, I agree with the already expressed opinion that the “extremist” elements are included in the draft … to eventually eliminate them, which will be presented as a great “concession” to the society.
As one of our esteemed diplomats would say, I see here so to speak something humorous. But these humorous aspects should not determine the outcome of the elections. What we call a “rating vote” is much more decisive, when you are choosing the businessman, philanthropist or precinct authority who is “close” to your heart, thus giving your vote to your “desired” party. Incidentally, here, we can also deal with the sincere feelings of people. If I am distributing lavash (unleavened bread) to people not only during the elections but also 5 years in a row, repay their in-cash debts and electricity debts, give money for the funeral, then the voters love me sincerely. And if they love me then they will have to “love” my party. Earlier, when there was the majority, the voter could vote for both the oligarch and any other party. Now, the oligarch and the party have merged.
I absolutely think it possible that in 2017, the filling, roundabout, multiple voting, even the election bribes (in the narrow sense of the word) will not be so essential. The sincere love towards the local oligarchs and the forced “love” for his party will be decisive. If the opposition and the public will be able to achieve the point that the voting will be deprived of its “rating” component, it would be a great achievement.
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Aram ABRAHAMYAN
