INSTRUMENT OR TRUST?

A1+
| 16:25:35 | 10-09-2005 | Politics |

The Republican Party of Armenia is one of the those parties to pay much
attention to the election to the local self-government. They evidently
know the “sweetness” of the fruit they reap after the election.

“We attach a very important role to this structure, that is why we
think that people who enjoy the trust of the nation should be elected
to head a community. And the political function of the community
should be also preserved”, RPA head Galust Sahakyan stated in an
interview with A1+. In his words the numeral advantage of RPA in the
local self-government bodies proves that the party is popular among
the people. Galust Sahakyan also admits that the local self-government
bodies are in some case an instrument in the authorities’ hands.

Something like a vicious circle forms – the authorities promote the
formation of the local self-government bodies, which in their turn
promote falsifications and reproduction of power. “It is incorrect to
call it reproduction. One should admit that out party enjoys the trust
of the population. If representatives of other parties want to occupy
these posts they should grip the field in time”, G. Sahakyan noted.

Will the RPA manage to keep the posts in case it loses power? “If the
RPA loses power it will not mean that it has lost the trust of the
people”, Galust Sahakyan stated when answering this question. To note,
the RPA leader is convinced that the Electoral Code has undergone
enough changes to provide transparent election.

When reminded that the opposition considers the local self-government
bodies to be an instrument used by the authorities during the
parliamentary or presidential election and the acting Constitution
empowers the government to dismiss the community head Galust Sahakyan
said he can’t remember a single case when the government pressed
for dismissal of a community head. However he emphasized that the
constitutional amendments have raised the status and independence
of the local self-government and the issue can be considered to be
settled when the amendments are adopted.