OSKANIAN: PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA IS LACK OF CONFIDENCE OF PEOPLE TOWARDS STATE INSTITUTIONS

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. "In terms of democracy, we have
done great work, however, we still have a long way to pass," Vardan
Oskanian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia,
declared in his interview with the Kentron TV company. According to
him, the problem of democracy in Armenia is the lack of confidence
towards state institutions.

According to the Minister, if there were 20 percent confidence towards
the Central Electoral Commission, these events would not have happened.

According to him, they should work mainly in the direction of
restoring that confidence: "We have inherited that inconfidence,
we have not only done nothing to restore the confidence for 17-18
years, but we have also made such steps, which have had an opposite
effect," he said. In the conviction of the Minister, the European
programs in Armenia should concentrate on free press and education:
"these are the fundamental directions, on which the society should be
built." In the estimation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with its
irresponsible work from all sides: both from authority and opposition,
the press has created such a crack, has spread inconfidence among
people that the people has nothing to cling to, nothing to believe.

Vardan Oskanian mentioned that one should not take the independence of
press for objectiveness: "It seems to us that if you are independent
then you are objective, these two things have absolutely nothing to do
with each other: you may be independent of the state, but dependent
on somebody, who pays you money and you publish your articles. You
may not be independent, just be objective, give a right picture of
the situation, you should feel sorry for this people."

The Minister mentioned that he liked very much the three points
suggested by the Dashnaktsutiun for finding a way out of this
situation: press, TV and electoral system should be improved so as
such a situation is excluded. The RA Minister of Foreign Affairs finds
that by the next parliamentary elections they should work together in
order to find solutions for these problems and exclude such a situation
through the irreproachability of the press and electoral system, so as
"the opposition today really feels that it has a chance to enter the
parliament in the next elections."