The authorities, the opposition and civil society seem to have agreed to meet again and discuss the Electoral Code in the perspective that the National Assembly will convene a special session as an outcome of these negotiations and the Code will be amended given the “non-governmental” 4+4+4 desires. It is certainly a positive step that I think was made possible not only thanks to the good will of the authorities but also the consistency by the Head of the EU Delegation Peter Svitalsky and the OSCE/ODIHR more or less principled position.
What can impede the success of these negotiations? Two things. First of all, minor incidents. Recall that the government-opposition dialogue in 2011 failed under the pretext that the ANC activist Tigran Arakelyan clashed with the police because of a muzzle. And where is Tigran Arakelyan now? As far as I know, he is not the “big politics”. (Therefore, all citizens must be urged to take their dogs for a walk exclusively muzzles during the meetings of “4+4+4” format). Generally, when it comes to important issues of the state, it is desirable to avoid the vocabulary of the teenagers playing in the yard, “The one who can offend me is not yet born,”Who can find fault with me?”
The answer to the second question if it concerns personally to me, I can say, “everybody.” Is it possible otherwise in the case of any mortal? What, am I an embodiment of perfection, an articulator of cosmic truths and a universal example of virtuous conduct? Hence, it is possible to avoid such boyish bites at least in the “4+4+4” format. Incidentally, it is not necessarily to argue whether they are negotiations or disputes. You may call it whatever it is convenient to you.
The second danger is that the Republican Party, however, would continue to be obstinate and would not make any concessions to the opposition, “cunningly” saying that it makes. It seems to me that our country now is not in the situation that the political forces would “allow themselves to the “luxury” of such games. If the government is not inclined to concessions, then there is no need to launch this round of discussions or negotiations. It is a senseless waste of time.
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But even if the parties could reach a consensus on all matters, but the false “proportional” or “open lists” voting system preserves, then the chances of the reproduction of the Republican Party in 2017 would be much higher. Unfortunately, the Western partners do not exert a particular pressure on the government on this issue. They say that the proposed system does not contradict the international experience.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
