Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Nov 29 2007

KARABAKH’S DESTINY DEPENDS ON ARMENIAN ELECTIONS

The First Unexpected Nomination

Yesterday, in `Urbat’ club, Arman Melikyan announced about his
decision to nominate his candidacy for presidency. He has recently
sent his resignation from the post of the Adviser to the President,
to Stepanakert, but he is sure this news will swiftly reach
Stepanakert through Mass Media.
This is how Arman Melikyan formulated the motivations of his
decision: ` In my view the tactics of the rivals can bring to a
serious political confrontation, if not conflict. This is a big
danger. I have come to the decision to run for the presidential
elections, to try to avert that danger.’
He also said: ` I don’t want to be represented as an alternative,
I don’t want to be a united candidate, I don’t want to be a
candidate, simply I don’t see any other option. The thing is I
advance other approaches, in terms of the negotiation process and the
reforms in the governing system.’
Arman Melikyan said the pre-election campaign is around two
principal issues – Karabakh issue and fighting corruption, around
which two poles have been formed. ‘ Unfortunately two poles have been
formulated – one supports the Armenian Pan National Movement, and is
concentrated on ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the other – the
Republicans. These two poles bring the people face to face with a
serious alternative.’
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s approach towards Karabakh issue is totally
unacceptable for A. Melikyan. ‘It is evident that his team has
remained in the same position they used to be in 1997 and in essence
they are ready to cede the territories of Nagorno Karabakh, the
territories that are out of the borders of former Nagorno Karabakh
Autonomous Province and Present NKR.
His disagreements with the pro-governmental pole is mostly linked
with their evaluations of the scale of corruption. But as he said he
expects clearer approaches and evaluations regarding Karabakh issue,
>From the pro-governmental pole. `The Republican team not giving any
guarantees that those territories won’t be ceded, meanwhile denies
the fact of the existence of the corrupted government system.’
A. Melikyan says the most dangerous thing in the pre-election
dispositions is that all the difficulties are ascribed to Karabakh
issue. `In this confrontation a very serious wedge is thrust, in
Karabakh – Armenia relations. They try to introduce the expression
`Karabakh-inhabitant’ as an enemy of Armenians. They try to link all
the difficulties faced by Armenia, with Karabakh issue. But it is a
nonsense.’
Representing his approaches regarding NKR issue he underscored: `
In my view it’s high time to say that we will never cede the
liberated territories. We have serious bases to do so, deriving from
the imperative of the protection of human rights. I don’t think we
can ignore the rights of our compatriots, wherever they are. The
biggest error of the negotiation process is that from the beginning
the factor of Armenian refugees have been overlooked, which started
>From the beginning of 1990-ies. But it is never late to advance that
issue on the negotiation table. Armenia’s foreign policy has lots of
work in this respect. This is a task for the new President.’
The speaker said Karabakh’s presence around the negotiation table
is indispensable.’ We must do our best for Karabakh to partake in the
negotiations as an independent party.’
He also stressed the importance of the recognition of Karabakh
that can be discussed in Armenia-Karabakh bilateral negotiations. `
These negotiations can last for a certain period of time. For some
months, years, but the existence of the negotiations is necessary. In
my view Armenia must declare that the 1989 decision on the
unification of Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province with Armenia is
in force, because it doesn’t take into account today’s territorial
and post-war realities. It will provide an opportunity for Armenia
later to recognize Karabakh with the existing borders.’
The speaker believes the foundation of corruption has been laid in
the beginning of 1990-ies. `It was at that very period of time that
the system was formed. Because there was a misbalance. People, must
be paid according to the degree of their responsibility. They must be
well off not to fix their eyes upon the state recourses.
The second mechanism, which according to A. Melikyan can hinder
the formation of corruption, system is supervision. ` There must be
serious mechanisms of supervision, including public control’
He considers all those who share his approaches and standpoints as
his supporters. `In my view my approaches are logical. Should the
voters appreciate them, they will be triumphant. Otherwise, later
they will start to look for the errors they have made.’

NAIRA KHACHATRYAN