We must see the real hope for the future and progress

I won’t discover America if I declare that the urgent necessity of free, just and transparent elections hangs over our heads like a sword of Damocles. This happens not because international establishments demand it, but because it is necessary for our people and our nation.

The forthcoming elections of local authorities are of utmost importance for us as a tangible opportunity of making a stable contribution to establishing democratic Armenia.

Following the way of democracy must be an issue of top priority for us as well as an indispensable necessity.

This issue concerns not only politics but morality as well. Our younger generation must see a real hope for the future and an opportunity to make progress.

This hope means freedom - freedom to think, freedom to act, freedom to choose.

Do we move forward being completely confident about the full victory of free elections?.

I am certain that the answer is negative.

Thus we must resurrect our hope and our trust as there are many people, who are frightened; we must resurrect tolerance as wickedness becomes a realpower in the political field.We must struggle against violationsof the law and shadow economy as now corruption and clannishness stand in the way of our democratic reforms.

Announcing that no changes are expected many people refused to vote, repeating this time and again, others engaged in electoral frauds, without understanding the threat it poses to our future and posterity.

We must change ourselves as our generations demand this change.

We must fight against extremism and for tolerance as unfortunately some people are happy not only about their accomplishments but with the misfortunes of the others which result in domestic hatred.

The ideas of political peace and honest competition are replaced by those of wars without rules and undercurrent hatred.

Intolerance, passive values and ideas tend to develop rapidly.

The process of disgracing everything and everybody goes on and nobody wants to keep in mind that there are no winners in this chain, as it is impossible to gain anything in this situation .

It equally concerns people instigating this process.

Healthy criticism, alternative viewpoints, innovations, active workare often given a hostile reception.

WHY?

Because the fighting ignorance strives for new summits; because a steady move in the direction of integration of international values and progress seems a real illusion to some people which makes them aggressive , enemies of breaking the system of stagnate values.

There is an urgent demand that we had a program of new elections which will build trust both in the social and political fields. And this is the reason that the obstacles must be overcome together with all the political forces through the alliance supporting the idea of free elections. I think that our political aspirations should have such a goal.

Both the authorities and the opposition must understand the importance of this route. We must supportthe general outlook of democracy to take root in our mind and actions and become a guideline for us..

The dynamics of real democracy, an ideal model of social governing, inspires hope and pride in more and more citizens day by day...

New ideas and new system of values imply free elections. In this sense, we must be idealistic and courageous, idealistic because to many free elections seem like a political bluff and courageous, because we need a break-through to the future.

Some past in the future.

Finally we must admit that Armenia can’t succeed with exhausted ideas. And as many state this fact not to fall into late remorse let’s foresee what will happen if the local authority elections of 2005 are againassessed negatively by international observers. As a result of the natural course of events in 2006 EU will adopt a tough statement with all its negative consequences.The OSCE will adopt another statement condemning the elections. This statement of the USA State Department will again give a tough assessment to the elections. International right-defending and other social organizations will consider the state of democracy in Armenia far from being perfect.

Who will benefit from such developments? From the first glance it is the Opposition who will obtain the right of accusing theauthorities on the solid grounds of organizing non-legitimate elections. This will help them to prove to the international community that these authorities are unable to conduct just elections.

Superficially, it is beneficial for the government as well as in the local community; they will have obedient community leaders and this will strengthen their position. Unfortunately the people sharing this viewpoint comprise majority both in the government and in the opposition.

Some people are followed by the principle “the worse the better”, others lead a life and death struggle for strengthening or at least maintaining their position.

But thinking the issue over, it becomes apparent that this scenario can be beneficial neither for the authorities nor for the opposition, as it will lead our state, our country and our people to shame and disgrace. And if all of us representingour social and political system are anxious about the outcome of this situation we must draw right conclusions, having the collective image of our people as an axis while resolving this problem.

The Proposal on Public Accord

What will happen to our people in this case?. After all, both the Government and the Opposition are supposed to defend or at least represent the interests of their people. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, the people are out of the scene, rejected and humiliated. While any power speaking on behalf of the people first of all must think about the collective image of the nation . Shall we appear in the eyes of the international community as a nation striving for freedom and real democracy, or as split socialand political groups pursuing only personal interests.

In this respect the most essential thing is to promote all our accomplishments in a civilized way.

Taking into account all the above mentioned, as a speaker of the National Assembly, I would like to put forward an initiative ofNational agreement based on the idea of holding free, just and transparent elections which can become an opportunity ofreconciliation between political forces in the forthcoming elections. I am sure that the necessity of turning the idea of free elections into public movement, which is strengthened by the solidarity of civil institutions and political forces engaged in the elections, will be critical for our society. I assure that I am neither so romantic to be fascinated by futile dreams nor such an utopist as not to distinguish between dream and reality. There is one key issue – which way are we to choose? What do we need? The imperfect solution of our daily problems with the perspective of having more questionable issues in the future or global changes in our viewpoints and activities. We must signify our direction to the future.

This is the very reason why we must understand right now that Armenia is a very small country for our unlimited ambitions but it is a big country to work on the numerous problems we have.

We need the atmosphere of public agreement as air, so that our voters will never feel deceived and deprived of their rights.

One can find thousands of reasons fordoing nothing but no justification for that.

I am also sure, that this initiative will be criticized. It will be refuted and rejected by those who dishonour the idea of real democracy and political tolerance in Armenia. This initiative will be denounced for various motivations and of course they will search and find populism in it. If one doesn’t want to work he can find thousands of reasons, but there is no well- grounded justification for it. At the same time I am confident that political and social forces will prevail, understanding the necessity of public agreement they can assist. Political forces, social organizations, mass media and citizens will join our initiative. I am convinced this agreement will serve as a basisof consolidation in establishing a system which will form with concerted efforts favorable conditions for fully exercising human rights and providing free lifestyle for our people.

The more so, because all the elections held in the years 1995-2003 were received with disapproval by the international organizations. Whoever tries to criticize my suggestion recalling the frauds in the 2003 electionsshould keep in mind how the international community assessed the elections in 1999. Those claiming the elections in 1999, should recallthe international reports on the elections held in 1995.

It is high time we draw a precise borderline.

We have but one country and we are all responsible for it,as there is no other choice - noother choice, as criticism and rejection can hardly be an alternative resolution, compared to the choice of doing some active work in order to change the present situation.

After all we should never forget our foreign policy directives.

We not onlyought to conductfree and transparent elections, but to form a new image of our country, ready to meet the challenges of the political situation, the settlement of Kharabakh issue, regional developments, which also must be viewed from the position of the future, notthe past.

Finally, I hope to have the readers’ reaction, their viewpoints and response. Discussions, disputes, different opinions opposing and at the same time complementary, will help us to form the treaty of the National agreement with the perspective of building a democratic country in the nearest future.

I am certain, that mass media as the fourth power and the means of shaping public opinion can enhance the process of building the treaty of National Agreement.

                                                                              ARTUR BAGHDASARYAN
                                                                              PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY