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ROBERT KOCHARIAN: STATE BODIES ARE FULLY PREPARED FOR ELECTIONS
Noyan Tapan
Feb 17, 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The state bodies with their
functions, as well as the electoral commissions are fully prepared
for the elections: all that is envisaged by the Electoral Code is
being implemented in accordance with the schedule, the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian stated in the February 16 interview with
four Armenian TV companies. According to him, during the election
campaign, incidents (their number as compared with their size) have
been within "reasonable limits".
The head of the country positively assessed the work of the observer
missions. "We did not have such constructive cooperation during
the last presidential elections and in general in 2003," he said,
underlining that "our demand has always been the same: an observer
mission should not be turned into an inspection mission, the observers
should register only what they see or the facts that are possible to
check and confirm by means of checks". In the president's opinion, so
far "there has been quite an objective and balanced approach". In the
past, according to him, observer mission started to become part of the
political process, which is inadmissible. A number of nongovernmental
foreign organizations also displayed an inadmissible activity in
the past: there were facts that they directly edited statements of
the opposition, they worked for months for selection of a common
opposition candidate. Now they are much more balanced and are mainly
implementing training programs on organization of elections.
During the current election campaign, the Armenian president has
not seen any gross intervention of foreign forces and states. In his
words, it is due to the fact that the time of colored revolutions is
over, these revolutions showed that they do not notably improve the
life of the people but they create a tension and have the opposite
impact. Another circumstance, according to R. Kocharian, is that
"we have managed to conduct a balanced policy, developing friendly
relations with our traditional states and creating new formats
and new relations with units of these superpowers and states". The
Armenian president expressed an opinion that the relations with the
U.S. are excellent, and Armenia has entered "a new stage" with the EU,
with an action plan being implemented under the European Neighborhood
Policy. "All this has created a situation when the current authorities
are perceived as the main axis of stability, they are balanced and can
be dealt with. We have neither gone to extremes nor created motives
for gross intervention," he said.
R. Kocharian expressed his amazement at the contents of some
promises made by the presidential candidates during the election
campaign. "There is an impression that most of the presidential
candidates are not familiar with the Constitution: in 2003, the
president was in fact the head of the government, he ratified all
decisions of the government, on his instructions the prime minister
conducted sittings. The situation is quite different now: since the
parliamentary elections in May 2007, I as president have no powers
in the economic sphere. It is only thanks to my personal authority
and personal contacts that I can put forward some thesis or other
through the government". In particular, he expressed perplexity at
the promises to increase fourfold pensions and salaries. "How and by
whom will it be done?
There is a parliamentary majority which forms the government and
is responsible for these issues. Only one candidate - the current
prime minister can make such promises because he is the candidate
of this parliamentary majority: the Republican Party of Armenia and
Prosperous Armenia Party". There will be no conflict between various
branches of power in this respect, while a conflict alsways results
in deterioration of economic indices, consequently life quality. The
Armenian president pointed out: "What does our people need: an
improvement in life quality or pretexts for why some program or other
was not implemented? I think direct improvement in the life is needed".
The president said that promises made during the election campaign also
surprise many diplomats working in Armenia: there is an impression
that these are parliamentary rather than presidential elections: the
president is first of all responsible for the country's security,
territorial integrity and foreign policy. This peculiarity of the
election campaign, according to the president, comes from the fact
that many do not clearly understand what has happened in the country's
governance system after the constitutional amendments.
Noyan Tapan
Feb 17, 2008
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The state bodies with their
functions, as well as the electoral commissions are fully prepared
for the elections: all that is envisaged by the Electoral Code is
being implemented in accordance with the schedule, the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian stated in the February 16 interview with
four Armenian TV companies. According to him, during the election
campaign, incidents (their number as compared with their size) have
been within "reasonable limits".
The head of the country positively assessed the work of the observer
missions. "We did not have such constructive cooperation during
the last presidential elections and in general in 2003," he said,
underlining that "our demand has always been the same: an observer
mission should not be turned into an inspection mission, the observers
should register only what they see or the facts that are possible to
check and confirm by means of checks". In the president's opinion, so
far "there has been quite an objective and balanced approach". In the
past, according to him, observer mission started to become part of the
political process, which is inadmissible. A number of nongovernmental
foreign organizations also displayed an inadmissible activity in
the past: there were facts that they directly edited statements of
the opposition, they worked for months for selection of a common
opposition candidate. Now they are much more balanced and are mainly
implementing training programs on organization of elections.
During the current election campaign, the Armenian president has
not seen any gross intervention of foreign forces and states. In his
words, it is due to the fact that the time of colored revolutions is
over, these revolutions showed that they do not notably improve the
life of the people but they create a tension and have the opposite
impact. Another circumstance, according to R. Kocharian, is that
"we have managed to conduct a balanced policy, developing friendly
relations with our traditional states and creating new formats
and new relations with units of these superpowers and states". The
Armenian president expressed an opinion that the relations with the
U.S. are excellent, and Armenia has entered "a new stage" with the EU,
with an action plan being implemented under the European Neighborhood
Policy. "All this has created a situation when the current authorities
are perceived as the main axis of stability, they are balanced and can
be dealt with. We have neither gone to extremes nor created motives
for gross intervention," he said.
R. Kocharian expressed his amazement at the contents of some
promises made by the presidential candidates during the election
campaign. "There is an impression that most of the presidential
candidates are not familiar with the Constitution: in 2003, the
president was in fact the head of the government, he ratified all
decisions of the government, on his instructions the prime minister
conducted sittings. The situation is quite different now: since the
parliamentary elections in May 2007, I as president have no powers
in the economic sphere. It is only thanks to my personal authority
and personal contacts that I can put forward some thesis or other
through the government". In particular, he expressed perplexity at
the promises to increase fourfold pensions and salaries. "How and by
whom will it be done?
There is a parliamentary majority which forms the government and
is responsible for these issues. Only one candidate - the current
prime minister can make such promises because he is the candidate
of this parliamentary majority: the Republican Party of Armenia and
Prosperous Armenia Party". There will be no conflict between various
branches of power in this respect, while a conflict alsways results
in deterioration of economic indices, consequently life quality. The
Armenian president pointed out: "What does our people need: an
improvement in life quality or pretexts for why some program or other
was not implemented? I think direct improvement in the life is needed".
The president said that promises made during the election campaign also
surprise many diplomats working in Armenia: there is an impression
that these are parliamentary rather than presidential elections: the
president is first of all responsible for the country's security,
territorial integrity and foreign policy. This peculiarity of the
election campaign, according to the president, comes from the fact
that many do not clearly understand what has happened in the country's
governance system after the constitutional amendments.