BIPARTISAN SYSTEM NOT FIT FOR ARMENIA - DASHNAK MP
tert.am
26.10.12
A switchover to the bipartisan system is impossible in Armenia as
that would create mess in all the political parties, according to a
senior Dashnak lawmaker.
Armen Roustamyan, the head of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) faction in parliament, told reporters
on Friday that their party is going to call a Supreme Body meeting
to decide its plans for the 2013 presidential election.
Asked by Tert.am whether a possible absence of presidential runners
representing the ARF-D and the opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) would signal a gradual transition to a biparty system, Rustamyan
ruled out such a scenario.
"There are no signals for such a development as there is no trend
towards a merger. Have the ideologies been clarified and crystallized
well enough to make a merger possible? As for merging together to back
a single candidate, that is far from an ideological merger. In our
reality, unfortunately, 90% of parties are anchored on an individual,"
he said.
Roustamyan said he thinks that a decision not to join the presidential
race would diminish the role of the political parties rather than
the elections per se.
The politician noted that ever since gaining independence, Armenia
has never managed to achieve a regime change through election.
"People never cherish hopes that they can change a situation in the
country with the help of elections," he said, recommending reporters
to conduct polls to see what percentage of the population believes
in elections.
Roustamyan noted further that the state machine turns into a kind of
electoral machine in the course of elections.
As for the possibility of a joint opposition candidate, he pointed
out to what he called the negative aspect of the issue, particularly
the universal opinion that the best person to act in that capacity
could be their nominee.
tert.am
26.10.12
A switchover to the bipartisan system is impossible in Armenia as
that would create mess in all the political parties, according to a
senior Dashnak lawmaker.
Armen Roustamyan, the head of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) faction in parliament, told reporters
on Friday that their party is going to call a Supreme Body meeting
to decide its plans for the 2013 presidential election.
Asked by Tert.am whether a possible absence of presidential runners
representing the ARF-D and the opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) would signal a gradual transition to a biparty system, Rustamyan
ruled out such a scenario.
"There are no signals for such a development as there is no trend
towards a merger. Have the ideologies been clarified and crystallized
well enough to make a merger possible? As for merging together to back
a single candidate, that is far from an ideological merger. In our
reality, unfortunately, 90% of parties are anchored on an individual,"
he said.
Roustamyan said he thinks that a decision not to join the presidential
race would diminish the role of the political parties rather than
the elections per se.
The politician noted that ever since gaining independence, Armenia
has never managed to achieve a regime change through election.
"People never cherish hopes that they can change a situation in the
country with the help of elections," he said, recommending reporters
to conduct polls to see what percentage of the population believes
in elections.
Roustamyan noted further that the state machine turns into a kind of
electoral machine in the course of elections.
As for the possibility of a joint opposition candidate, he pointed
out to what he called the negative aspect of the issue, particularly
the universal opinion that the best person to act in that capacity
could be their nominee.