VAHAN HOVANISYAN: OFFICE OF PRESIDENT IS VIEWED AS PLACE WHERE EVERY PROBLEM IS SOLVED, INCLUDING TENDERS
Lragir
Dec 13 2007
Armenia
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun is worried not only by the monopolization
of the economy but also of politics, stated the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
presidential candidate Vahan Hovanisyan on December 13 at the National
Press Club.
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun thinks if the president is from the same
party as the parliament majority and the government, in other words,
the Republican Party, the monolithic government will lead into
authoritarianism, bad consequences and break the balance. After the
ARF Supreme Meeting on November 30 Serge Sargsyan commented on this
opinion saying that it stems from unawareness of the Constitution
because if the situation when the same force holds the parliament
majority and nominates president and parliament were dangerous,
the Constitution would bar it.
The reporters wanted to know the opinion of Vahan Hovanisyan on the
prime minister’s statement. "The Constitution cannot bar. We have
read the Constitution thoroughly. We understand that the danger of a
monolithic government, of authoritarian rule enables incompliance of
real life with the law. You see there are people who view the office
of the president as a place where every problem is solved, including
tenders and public administration. However, the new Constitution
which not only we read attentively but also wrote, this Constitution
distinguished the president from the government. The president has
no reason to intervene with the affairs of the government, except
for the cases of emergency. However, the functions of the president
are clear. After all, he sustains constitutional order in the country.
And the president, for instance, may regulate the tax and customs
spheres through instructions, he can eliminate the practice of election
fraud. This is what the president can do and should do. In case of
a monolithic government it will be more difficult to do this," Vahan
Hovanisyan says.
He also said if a president is elected, he must take into consideration
that the parliament majority is Republican, and according to the
Constitution, the parliament majority appoints the prime minister. In
this connection, Vahan Hovanisyan said if the Republican Party decides
that the best candidate for prime minister is Serge Sargsyan, the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun will endorse it. Vahan Hovanisyan said therefore they
nominate a president to guarantee Constitutional order in Armenia
and prevent the situation when the activities are independent from
the Constitution. "In the end, everyone should do their job. The
president is not elected, as many think, to distribute ministerial
posts. It is not going to be his purpose," Vahan Hovanisyan says.