RA FM: ARMENIA STRIVES FOR HOLDING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Arminfo
2007-04-19 14:07:00

Armenia makes efforts to hold the forthcoming parliamentary elections
in line with the international standards, RA FM Vardan Oskanyan said
at the session of OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna (Austria).

Many of us in and out of government are deeply committed to improve our
score, to strive for elections in line with international norms. While
past mistakes are undeniable, we should not be presumed guilty for the
future. We have changed our election law, we’re moving from a strong
presidential system to a system where the role of the parliament is
being enlarged. This is a serious change, there are now new checks
and balances in our government, it enhances the role of parliament
and through them the role of political parties.

Therefore, during these elections, each party will struggle for votes,
defend its vote, and watch others in order to assure their share of
power, V. Oskanyan stressed.

"But fair and free elections require the good will and good intentions
of everyone: not only government, the elections commission, the
ruling party, but the entire society, and also the opposition
parties. Unfortunately, those with great doubt about their own
electability are more than eager to convince outsiders that their
political weaknesses are solely due to the machinations and insincerity
of those in the majority. To avoid this, we need to make monitors
vigilant and aware of this fact, as well as generally aware of the
Armenian reality. As I meet with members of the observation team,
I have noticed that those now involved in observation issions in
Armenia as well as in monitoring of the media situation are more aware
than before of the problems with reliance on hearsay and mechanistic,
quantitative methods, without an understanding of the cultural and
political realities on the ground. Of course, in Armenia, as well as
everywhere East and West of Vienna, incumbency has its privileges and
advantages that cannot be reduced to simple calculations of candidates’
airtime. And, in Armenia as elsewhere, there is a curious correlation
between rising standards of living and the cost of financing electoral
campaigns.

Of course, these elections are a serious challenge for Armenia to
demonstrate its determination to consolidate through free and fair
elections its progress towards democratization and the rule of law",
V. Oskanyan said.

Armenia’s economy is doing well. This is the 7th year of double-digit
growth. The inflation rate is low, around 3%, our exports are
increasing, foreign investment is increasing, our foreign reserves
are increasing. Such positive macroeconomic achievements allow us to
address the more problematic issues in our economy – unemployment,
low incomes, poverty. There’s one other major problem we need to
address and that is the gap between rural and urban areas, RA FM said.