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SERGE SARKISSIAN'S SPEECH AT THE FEBRUARY 26 RALLY
Panorama.am
22:24 27/02/2008
Dear compatriots,
I welcome all of you and congratulate you with the successful conduct
of the elections of the president of the Republic of Armenia. Rest
assured that we are living through historic times. For the first
time in the history of newly independent Armenia we have succeeded
in organizing two consecutive elections, and received positive
appraisals in both cases. We enjoy a brilliant opportunity today to
resolve issues that loom large before us; we have all the necessary
foundations today to look ahead in confidence and wage an unyielding
war against all disgraceful phenomena that exist amongst us.
We are bound together today by the elation of victory, but also by
our concern for the future of our country.
As I speak these words, our soldiers are defending their homeland,
entrenched along the country's borders; schoolteachers are educating
a whole generation in our schools; right at this moment our doctors
are healing the wounds of our brothers and sisters.
Today we have come together to heal another wound, a wound inflicted
upon our nation's body by these elections. We have to prevail over
this trial; we must do everything for this wound too to cicatrize as
soon as possible. I am saying this with pain in my heart.
With pain, because I am weary of seeing only scars on our nation's
body, with pain, since the time is long overdue for our country,
our nation to move ahead.
With pain, because some people have failed to thoroughly grasp the
value of this accomplishment of ours.
The value of democracy.
The value of forming the authorities through elections.
The value of majority's opinion.
Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia, I am grateful to you for
the high trust you have placed in me. I swear to do everything to
justify your trust with a clean breast.
I assure you that you will never have to regret casting your vote
for Serge Sarkissian in these elections.
I also thank all those who have voted for other candidates. We respect
the opinion of our citizens and do not divide the society into "our
people" and "theirs," or, as some woeful democrats put it today, into
"us and the scum of the nation." Fascism and revanchism are alien
to us.
Do not doubt that every piece of criticism voiced by the candidates
in the course of the campaign will be analyzed in detail. Sound
criticism shall be set apart from spite and shall be factored into
our policies. I am certain that this electoral process we have gone
through together shall only make us stronger, shall contribute to
our country's further rise and the rooting of true democracy.
>From this high lectern I call on the former candidates and the
political forces that support them: let us co-operate. Up to and
including the formation of a coalition government. It is my purpose,
among others, to claim all constructive, foundational powers to the
benefit of Armenia's development.
Today I want to speak to you about the future of democracy in our
country, about the dignity of a person, of every citizen in the
Republic of Armenia.
Dignity that may only exist in a country where government is formed
through elections. Dignity we can not afford to waste.
You came to own this dignity by participating in the elections. And
I address my words of gratitude today to you, all citizens of the
Republic of Armenia. I thank you for becoming a particle of, a vehicle
for the development of democracy in our country.
Every victory signifies the end of a quest. For me this victory of
all of us is just a beginning. The beginning of triumphs to come,
victories of our state, of our entire nation. Through our joint efforts
we turn the history of Armenian people into a story of triumphs that
our coming generations shall take pride in. These pages of our history,
which we are writing together, shall bear witness only to victories.
I have promised you victories, and we have won. I promise yet newer
victories, and we shall win!
We shall defeat poverty, we shall defeat meanness, and we shall
defeat apathy.
Humaneness, compassion, and optimism shall triumph in our country.
Today, however, we witness a different scene. We see the society
divided and broken apart; we see an aggressive cluster sparing no means
to attain its goal, "to defile," as they have termed it themselves.
We witness a development unprecedented in its dangerousness. Today I do
not see a problem of "our people" and "theirs," no issue of incumbents
and the opposition. The issue at stake today is that of Armenia, the
permanence of our statehood, protection of our values, an issue we
have come together here to resolve. And this is why I appeal to all of
you, regardless of your political views, your ideological approaches:
get the better of this artificial divide introduced into our nation!
Together we shall overcome this divide!
We, each and every citizen of the Republic of Armenia, shall win,
as will the entire Armenian nation!
I ask you not to succumb to meanness, because it is our sisters and
brothers in the other square over there. I am certain that they were
driven to the square by a desire to have a better Armenia but, alas,
they are no longer allowed to notice how they have been turned into
an instrument of vengeful and power-hungry aspirations of a handful
of people. I am aware how upset you have become these days watching
everything that occurs. I know that there are many people today
who are ready to get out in the street to defend their vote. I know
all this very well. But I ask you to curb your temper and, if you
have something to say, let it only be pleas for seeing the reality;
if you want to revert to action, let it be steps of tolerance and
goodness. Please, always remember that it is our sisters and brothers
that are out there in the other square.
Dear friends, these elections have demonstrated that we have
succeeded in resolving many issues indeed on the way to organizing
good elections. These elections have demonstrated that we still have
to traverse a way, first and foremost, to increase trust towards the
electoral process.
These elections demonstrated that we have succeeded in establishing
the institution of "dignified victory" among us. But these elections
also demonstrated that we still have a long way to go towards the
formation of the institution of "dignified defeat."
These elections have shown us that the time has come for "Ahead,
Armenia!" The time for tireless work and struggle against disgraceful
practices that muddy our life. This had been very well perceived by
several individuals, buried in filth up to their eyes, who hurried
to trumpet their adherence to ambiguous ideas and the launch of the
so-called struggle. Today many describe these people as turncoats,
defectors in the camp. I, for one, have a good understanding of
their rationale: they know me well, they know that I am not the
kind of person to keep tolerating the conduct they have grown to
consider acceptable, who will turn a blind eye to the shady aspects
of our reality. They know that I shall wipe out brazen behaviour,
non-payment of taxes, arm-twisting and gunslinging attitudes. For
those who could only envision their lives in murky nooks there was no
choice left but to flee and start verbalizing off the podium about
democracy, something they are as far away from, as from the worries
and concerns of our people.
What is most unacceptable for me in all this, dear compatriots, is
the ignoble stance of a few of my friends in combat, whom the devil
succeeded in tempting with promises and foul language. Hypocrisy,
groundless aspirations, unrealistic cravings, unfounded demands,
these are all unacceptable to me. I have always done this and shall
continue, with pain in my heart, but unwaveringly nonetheless,
to restrain those who cross the line, lose the sense of reality,
regardless of their merit in combat, rank and decorations. Armenia's
interest supersedes everything else.
The presidential elections of 2008 are now history.
Positive appraisal of our presidential elections by observers
and officials from all European institutions, The Commonwealth
of Independent States, and the US State Department, have been
published. Our pre-election, election and post-election processes
were conducted on quite a high level. I assure you that all this was
really very important for Armenia.
I am also content that people in our country enjoy every possibility
to freely express their ideas and opinions, hold rallies in the period
following the elections. Unfortunately people once again failed to
take adequate advantage of their freedoms and once again exceeded all
boundaries of correctness, losing the sense of measure. Nevertheless
I shall continue to duly protect the rights of our citizens.
I shall protect the right to freedom of speech. Though free speech
does not license slander and foul language.
I shall protect the right of free assembly. Though the freedom to
hold rallies does not imply that the metropolis has to grind to
a standstill.
I shall protect the right to protest, but the right to protest shall
not mean that constitutional and other rights of our citizens have
to be trampled upon. It does not mean that the right of the majority
to form government must be overridden.
Dear compatriots, sisters and brothers, our presidential elections
became pivotal in the history of our newly independent state. As
a result of the elections an exceptional opportunity has presented
itself in our country to strengthen true democracy. I believe that
this seriously contributes to the implementation of our goal: having
strong authorities and powerful constructive opposition.
We are not afraid of strong opposition. On the contrary, we maintain
that we may succeed in assuring our country's progressive development
only upon the existence of powerful constructive opposition.
I highly value the stability that our nation has acquired at the
cost of great suffering; I consider it a historic feat that we have
accomplished through persistent hard work.
Admittedly, economic growth does not immediately translate into
improved standard of living for the people, however we may wish it. And
yes, overcoming poverty takes time. We have an issue in this country
with competitiveness, having to shed for good the oligarchic system
that inevitably straddles economies in the post-soviet period. But
we are also much stronger today to properly address these issues.
I make a call for co-operation to all political forces and public
associations in the country. I reiterate over and over: the authorities
are ready to work with all opposition forces in the name of Armenia's
development and for the prosperity of the people of the Republic
of Armenia.
At the same time, however, I declare with full responsibility that
most decisive measures will be taken in the direction of strengthening
the existing political stability in this country, maintaining public
law and order, and assuring normal functioning of the society.
Dear compatriots, we are destined to live in difficult, but also
interesting times. The dilemmas we are facing mostly have imposed
outcomes, for example: the choice we had between war and peace. As a
result we went to war and came out victorious, in the name of peace
and progress.
Today we are facing the dilemma of unity versus fragmentation. We
are facing the choice between democracy and a takeover of power
through force.
We are the defenders of this democracy today.
I assure you that the arsenal of democracy is not exhausted in our
country. It is there since very few have had the courage to use it. It
is not exhausted because democracy means being able to confidently look
straight into the people's eyes. It is not exhausted, because democracy
tolerates no lies or falsehood; not exhausted, because in a democracy
one may not re-emerge, without asking one's own people for forgiveness.
Democracy means that the rights of our citizens shall be protected. And
the right to form government through elections, first and foremost
among them. Today we are defending this right. I pledge to protect
fundamental human rights. I shall protect them throughout my life.
Today, a week after the elections, I claim that the time for
electoral slogans is gone, as is the time for campaigning, the time for
blame. We are facing different challenges now. We have to translate the
expectations of our compatriots into reality, address their grievances,
continue to work and create.
The Holy Scripture says: "There is time for everything."
Today is not the time to gather stones. Today is the time to let the
stone drop from our lap.
Today is not the time for spite and jaundice. Today is the time
for peace.
Today is not the time to draw new watersheds. Today is the time
for unity.
Today is the time for work.
Today is the time for new victories.
The time for dignity and democracy.
Today is the time to overcome our disagreements; today is the time
for the entire nation to say:
"We are able to withstand any ordeal," and we shall!
"We can move ahead fast," and we shall!
"We can have the Armenia of our dreams," and I give you my word:
we shall have it!
So let us move ahead,
Ahead, towards Armenia of new triumphs!
Ahead, Armenia!
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Panorama.am
22:24 27/02/2008
Dear compatriots,
I welcome all of you and congratulate you with the successful conduct
of the elections of the president of the Republic of Armenia. Rest
assured that we are living through historic times. For the first
time in the history of newly independent Armenia we have succeeded
in organizing two consecutive elections, and received positive
appraisals in both cases. We enjoy a brilliant opportunity today to
resolve issues that loom large before us; we have all the necessary
foundations today to look ahead in confidence and wage an unyielding
war against all disgraceful phenomena that exist amongst us.
We are bound together today by the elation of victory, but also by
our concern for the future of our country.
As I speak these words, our soldiers are defending their homeland,
entrenched along the country's borders; schoolteachers are educating
a whole generation in our schools; right at this moment our doctors
are healing the wounds of our brothers and sisters.
Today we have come together to heal another wound, a wound inflicted
upon our nation's body by these elections. We have to prevail over
this trial; we must do everything for this wound too to cicatrize as
soon as possible. I am saying this with pain in my heart.
With pain, because I am weary of seeing only scars on our nation's
body, with pain, since the time is long overdue for our country,
our nation to move ahead.
With pain, because some people have failed to thoroughly grasp the
value of this accomplishment of ours.
The value of democracy.
The value of forming the authorities through elections.
The value of majority's opinion.
Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia, I am grateful to you for
the high trust you have placed in me. I swear to do everything to
justify your trust with a clean breast.
I assure you that you will never have to regret casting your vote
for Serge Sarkissian in these elections.
I also thank all those who have voted for other candidates. We respect
the opinion of our citizens and do not divide the society into "our
people" and "theirs," or, as some woeful democrats put it today, into
"us and the scum of the nation." Fascism and revanchism are alien
to us.
Do not doubt that every piece of criticism voiced by the candidates
in the course of the campaign will be analyzed in detail. Sound
criticism shall be set apart from spite and shall be factored into
our policies. I am certain that this electoral process we have gone
through together shall only make us stronger, shall contribute to
our country's further rise and the rooting of true democracy.
>From this high lectern I call on the former candidates and the
political forces that support them: let us co-operate. Up to and
including the formation of a coalition government. It is my purpose,
among others, to claim all constructive, foundational powers to the
benefit of Armenia's development.
Today I want to speak to you about the future of democracy in our
country, about the dignity of a person, of every citizen in the
Republic of Armenia.
Dignity that may only exist in a country where government is formed
through elections. Dignity we can not afford to waste.
You came to own this dignity by participating in the elections. And
I address my words of gratitude today to you, all citizens of the
Republic of Armenia. I thank you for becoming a particle of, a vehicle
for the development of democracy in our country.
Every victory signifies the end of a quest. For me this victory of
all of us is just a beginning. The beginning of triumphs to come,
victories of our state, of our entire nation. Through our joint efforts
we turn the history of Armenian people into a story of triumphs that
our coming generations shall take pride in. These pages of our history,
which we are writing together, shall bear witness only to victories.
I have promised you victories, and we have won. I promise yet newer
victories, and we shall win!
We shall defeat poverty, we shall defeat meanness, and we shall
defeat apathy.
Humaneness, compassion, and optimism shall triumph in our country.
Today, however, we witness a different scene. We see the society
divided and broken apart; we see an aggressive cluster sparing no means
to attain its goal, "to defile," as they have termed it themselves.
We witness a development unprecedented in its dangerousness. Today I do
not see a problem of "our people" and "theirs," no issue of incumbents
and the opposition. The issue at stake today is that of Armenia, the
permanence of our statehood, protection of our values, an issue we
have come together here to resolve. And this is why I appeal to all of
you, regardless of your political views, your ideological approaches:
get the better of this artificial divide introduced into our nation!
Together we shall overcome this divide!
We, each and every citizen of the Republic of Armenia, shall win,
as will the entire Armenian nation!
I ask you not to succumb to meanness, because it is our sisters and
brothers in the other square over there. I am certain that they were
driven to the square by a desire to have a better Armenia but, alas,
they are no longer allowed to notice how they have been turned into
an instrument of vengeful and power-hungry aspirations of a handful
of people. I am aware how upset you have become these days watching
everything that occurs. I know that there are many people today
who are ready to get out in the street to defend their vote. I know
all this very well. But I ask you to curb your temper and, if you
have something to say, let it only be pleas for seeing the reality;
if you want to revert to action, let it be steps of tolerance and
goodness. Please, always remember that it is our sisters and brothers
that are out there in the other square.
Dear friends, these elections have demonstrated that we have
succeeded in resolving many issues indeed on the way to organizing
good elections. These elections have demonstrated that we still have
to traverse a way, first and foremost, to increase trust towards the
electoral process.
These elections demonstrated that we have succeeded in establishing
the institution of "dignified victory" among us. But these elections
also demonstrated that we still have a long way to go towards the
formation of the institution of "dignified defeat."
These elections have shown us that the time has come for "Ahead,
Armenia!" The time for tireless work and struggle against disgraceful
practices that muddy our life. This had been very well perceived by
several individuals, buried in filth up to their eyes, who hurried
to trumpet their adherence to ambiguous ideas and the launch of the
so-called struggle. Today many describe these people as turncoats,
defectors in the camp. I, for one, have a good understanding of
their rationale: they know me well, they know that I am not the
kind of person to keep tolerating the conduct they have grown to
consider acceptable, who will turn a blind eye to the shady aspects
of our reality. They know that I shall wipe out brazen behaviour,
non-payment of taxes, arm-twisting and gunslinging attitudes. For
those who could only envision their lives in murky nooks there was no
choice left but to flee and start verbalizing off the podium about
democracy, something they are as far away from, as from the worries
and concerns of our people.
What is most unacceptable for me in all this, dear compatriots, is
the ignoble stance of a few of my friends in combat, whom the devil
succeeded in tempting with promises and foul language. Hypocrisy,
groundless aspirations, unrealistic cravings, unfounded demands,
these are all unacceptable to me. I have always done this and shall
continue, with pain in my heart, but unwaveringly nonetheless,
to restrain those who cross the line, lose the sense of reality,
regardless of their merit in combat, rank and decorations. Armenia's
interest supersedes everything else.
The presidential elections of 2008 are now history.
Positive appraisal of our presidential elections by observers
and officials from all European institutions, The Commonwealth
of Independent States, and the US State Department, have been
published. Our pre-election, election and post-election processes
were conducted on quite a high level. I assure you that all this was
really very important for Armenia.
I am also content that people in our country enjoy every possibility
to freely express their ideas and opinions, hold rallies in the period
following the elections. Unfortunately people once again failed to
take adequate advantage of their freedoms and once again exceeded all
boundaries of correctness, losing the sense of measure. Nevertheless
I shall continue to duly protect the rights of our citizens.
I shall protect the right to freedom of speech. Though free speech
does not license slander and foul language.
I shall protect the right of free assembly. Though the freedom to
hold rallies does not imply that the metropolis has to grind to
a standstill.
I shall protect the right to protest, but the right to protest shall
not mean that constitutional and other rights of our citizens have
to be trampled upon. It does not mean that the right of the majority
to form government must be overridden.
Dear compatriots, sisters and brothers, our presidential elections
became pivotal in the history of our newly independent state. As
a result of the elections an exceptional opportunity has presented
itself in our country to strengthen true democracy. I believe that
this seriously contributes to the implementation of our goal: having
strong authorities and powerful constructive opposition.
We are not afraid of strong opposition. On the contrary, we maintain
that we may succeed in assuring our country's progressive development
only upon the existence of powerful constructive opposition.
I highly value the stability that our nation has acquired at the
cost of great suffering; I consider it a historic feat that we have
accomplished through persistent hard work.
Admittedly, economic growth does not immediately translate into
improved standard of living for the people, however we may wish it. And
yes, overcoming poverty takes time. We have an issue in this country
with competitiveness, having to shed for good the oligarchic system
that inevitably straddles economies in the post-soviet period. But
we are also much stronger today to properly address these issues.
I make a call for co-operation to all political forces and public
associations in the country. I reiterate over and over: the authorities
are ready to work with all opposition forces in the name of Armenia's
development and for the prosperity of the people of the Republic
of Armenia.
At the same time, however, I declare with full responsibility that
most decisive measures will be taken in the direction of strengthening
the existing political stability in this country, maintaining public
law and order, and assuring normal functioning of the society.
Dear compatriots, we are destined to live in difficult, but also
interesting times. The dilemmas we are facing mostly have imposed
outcomes, for example: the choice we had between war and peace. As a
result we went to war and came out victorious, in the name of peace
and progress.
Today we are facing the dilemma of unity versus fragmentation. We
are facing the choice between democracy and a takeover of power
through force.
We are the defenders of this democracy today.
I assure you that the arsenal of democracy is not exhausted in our
country. It is there since very few have had the courage to use it. It
is not exhausted because democracy means being able to confidently look
straight into the people's eyes. It is not exhausted, because democracy
tolerates no lies or falsehood; not exhausted, because in a democracy
one may not re-emerge, without asking one's own people for forgiveness.
Democracy means that the rights of our citizens shall be protected. And
the right to form government through elections, first and foremost
among them. Today we are defending this right. I pledge to protect
fundamental human rights. I shall protect them throughout my life.
Today, a week after the elections, I claim that the time for
electoral slogans is gone, as is the time for campaigning, the time for
blame. We are facing different challenges now. We have to translate the
expectations of our compatriots into reality, address their grievances,
continue to work and create.
The Holy Scripture says: "There is time for everything."
Today is not the time to gather stones. Today is the time to let the
stone drop from our lap.
Today is not the time for spite and jaundice. Today is the time
for peace.
Today is not the time to draw new watersheds. Today is the time
for unity.
Today is the time for work.
Today is the time for new victories.
The time for dignity and democracy.
Today is the time to overcome our disagreements; today is the time
for the entire nation to say:
"We are able to withstand any ordeal," and we shall!
"We can move ahead fast," and we shall!
"We can have the Armenia of our dreams," and I give you my word:
we shall have it!
So let us move ahead,
Ahead, towards Armenia of new triumphs!
Ahead, Armenia!
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress