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NEW OPPOSITION GROUP AIMS TO UNSEAT ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT
12.10.2013 01:34 epress.am
Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan today unveiled a new group he
founded called Civil Contract and announced the names of its board
members, which are Pashinyan; former MP, war veteran Sasun Mikaelyan;
orientalist Arayik Harutyunyan; journalist Alen Simonyan; orientalist
Arsen Kharatyan; Marine Manucharyan; and environmental activist,
journalist Lena Nazaryan. The board may be subject to the addition
new members and decisions will be made based on consensus.
The first paragraph of the contract is as follows:
"The aim of the participants of this contract is the establishment
of new social, political, legal, and domestic relationships of the
citizens of the Republic of Armenia based on the equality of all
people before the law, the full protection and application of human
rights, equality between women and men, national-state identity of
the Armenian people, the preservation and development of independence
and sovereignty, granting the Armenian people real levers of power in
the Republic of Armenia, on the imperatives of reinstating the status
of the best and most preferred place of residence and development of
the Armenian people."
Pashinyan stated that the names of the Veradarts foundation's board of
trustees will be announced soon. The foundation will fund the creation
of Civil Contract in all regions of Armenia, as well as outside the
country. According to Pashinyan, the other important step that will be
taken is a conference with members who've signed on to the contract,
which will take place within 3 years.
Pashinyan added that it's important that anyone joining the contract
is clearly aware of his role or her role and has specific expectations
from the contract, knowing also what expectations the contract has of
her or him. Board member Marine Manucharyan added that members must
participate in public events held in the regions in order to acquaint
the public with the essence of the contract. Another board member,
Lena Nazaryan, said one of the advantages of the contract for her is
that the initiative is very comprehensive and rules out defeat. Arsen
Kharatyan added that it's important for him that the contract intends
to also foster repatriation and anyone joining them, whether they be
from the diaspora or Armenia, must be committed to living in Armenia.
Board members also emphasized the importance of horizontal (as opposed
to top-down) relationships among members of the contract.
Asked whether he was preparing to run in the next presidential
elections as a candidate of the Civil Contract, Pashinyan said the
group will participate in the coming presidential elections but its
proposed candidate will be decided later, through a public debate. As
reported by RFE/RL's Armenian service, it is not yet clear whether
the group will be a political party.
"We will achieve regime change; we will not demand [Armenian President]
Serzh Sargsyan's resignation but we will see to it that Serzh Sargsyan
and his team will not be in power. We will get a vote of confidence
from the citizens of the Republic of Armenia through free, fair, and
transparent elections. I can say that this will be the most important
outcome of the Civil Contract," he said.
http://www.epress.am/en/2013/12/10/new-opposition-group-aims-to-unseat-armenias-president.html
12.10.2013 01:34 epress.am
Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan today unveiled a new group he
founded called Civil Contract and announced the names of its board
members, which are Pashinyan; former MP, war veteran Sasun Mikaelyan;
orientalist Arayik Harutyunyan; journalist Alen Simonyan; orientalist
Arsen Kharatyan; Marine Manucharyan; and environmental activist,
journalist Lena Nazaryan. The board may be subject to the addition
new members and decisions will be made based on consensus.
The first paragraph of the contract is as follows:
"The aim of the participants of this contract is the establishment
of new social, political, legal, and domestic relationships of the
citizens of the Republic of Armenia based on the equality of all
people before the law, the full protection and application of human
rights, equality between women and men, national-state identity of
the Armenian people, the preservation and development of independence
and sovereignty, granting the Armenian people real levers of power in
the Republic of Armenia, on the imperatives of reinstating the status
of the best and most preferred place of residence and development of
the Armenian people."
Pashinyan stated that the names of the Veradarts foundation's board of
trustees will be announced soon. The foundation will fund the creation
of Civil Contract in all regions of Armenia, as well as outside the
country. According to Pashinyan, the other important step that will be
taken is a conference with members who've signed on to the contract,
which will take place within 3 years.
Pashinyan added that it's important that anyone joining the contract
is clearly aware of his role or her role and has specific expectations
from the contract, knowing also what expectations the contract has of
her or him. Board member Marine Manucharyan added that members must
participate in public events held in the regions in order to acquaint
the public with the essence of the contract. Another board member,
Lena Nazaryan, said one of the advantages of the contract for her is
that the initiative is very comprehensive and rules out defeat. Arsen
Kharatyan added that it's important for him that the contract intends
to also foster repatriation and anyone joining them, whether they be
from the diaspora or Armenia, must be committed to living in Armenia.
Board members also emphasized the importance of horizontal (as opposed
to top-down) relationships among members of the contract.
Asked whether he was preparing to run in the next presidential
elections as a candidate of the Civil Contract, Pashinyan said the
group will participate in the coming presidential elections but its
proposed candidate will be decided later, through a public debate. As
reported by RFE/RL's Armenian service, it is not yet clear whether
the group will be a political party.
"We will achieve regime change; we will not demand [Armenian President]
Serzh Sargsyan's resignation but we will see to it that Serzh Sargsyan
and his team will not be in power. We will get a vote of confidence
from the citizens of the Republic of Armenia through free, fair, and
transparent elections. I can say that this will be the most important
outcome of the Civil Contract," he said.
http://www.epress.am/en/2013/12/10/new-opposition-group-aims-to-unseat-armenias-president.html