COALITION – THE BEGINNING OF SERIOUS REFORMS
ARMEN TSATOURYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on March 22, 2008

Due to the `Agreement on Political Coalition’ signed on March 21 by the
Republican Party of Armenia, `Rule of Law’, `Prosperous Armenia’ and
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsoutyun, the
parliamentary and presidential elections, processes that lasted more
than a year, fall to the bosom of history together with the tumultuous
post-electoral developments.

It’s not accidental that signing the quadrilateral agreement on
political coalition coincides, in time aspect, with lifting the state
of emergency in our country. This means that after the period of the
political debates and accusations, the factions which signed the March
21 memorandum boldly commit themselves to helping the country overcome
the existing situation.

Despite the fact that during the presidential elections the Republican
and `Prosperous Armenia’ endorsed Serge Sargsyan while the other
parties – `Rule of Law’ and ARFD, endorsed Arthur Baghdasaryan and
Vahan Hovhannisyan respectively, they all, put together, received more
than two thirds of the total number of votes.

For a government which is in the process of formation, this creates
such a strong reserve of legitimacy that L. Ter-Petrosyan who, together
with his political supporters, is trying to dispute the election
results with his 21 percent of votes, will have less and less chances
in future. From now on, the way towards the realization of their
political goals will be `blockaded’ by the factions supporting the
candidates who occupied the 1st, 3rd and the 4th positions during the
elections. These factions also have an absolute majority in the
National Assembly elected in May 2007.

This is the first time the principles of the activities and the keynote
priorities of the political coalition, the obligations, the procedure
and the time limits of organizing the activity of its member parties is
defined in a concrete and clear-cut manner. The existing document
differs from the previous coalition agreements in that it does not
define the concrete spheres of the legislative and executive powers in
which separate parties belonging to the coalition may propose staff
members.

It’s obvious that only after the inauguration of the President-elect
and the clarification of the candidacy of Prime Minister will the
concrete role-castings of the staff members become clear within the
frameworks of the coalition agreement.

The principal and pivotal clause of the agreement on forming a
political coalition is the last paragraph defining the coalition’s
objectives. It runs as follows, `The parties to the political coalition
confirm their will and determination in realizing the objectives of the
coalition and assume a responsibility for the activity of the ruling
authority.’

This means that all the parties involved in the coalition will bear a
joint and individual responsibility for the ruling authority and first
of all, for the activity of the Government. In the meantime, the next
section of the agreement regarding the `Principles of the Political
Coalition’ adds that cooperation within the frameworks of the coalition
will be implemented `in conjunction with one another as well as with
the President of the Republic of Armenia’.

The third, more extensive section of the March 1 agreement defines the
keynote priorities which, together with general statements of question,
also contain a great number of new and interesting objectives. Let’s
enumerate some of them,

a) extending the scope of activity of the parliamentary opposition,

b) implementing programs boosting the activity of public unions and
structures,

c) introducing and applying new mechanisms in the state government
system; such mechanisms shall ensure a high efficiency in the activity
of the National Security Council

Besides, the document clearly defines the procedure of organizing the
activity of the newly developing quadrilateral political coalition.
According to it, the draft documents of conceptual and strategic
character are subject to preliminary discussion among the coalition
parties which should spare no effort for elaborating a joint attitude.
Upon the proposal of any of the parties, any issue concerning the
activity of the National Assembly and the Government may become subject
to discussion. For the implementation of all these goals, the parties
shall set up a coordinating council, based on the principle of equal
representation.

Thus, the March 21 `Agreement on Political Coalition’ signed by 4
parliamentary factions is a thoroughly elaborated, enhanced and
comprehensive document which, from the very beginning, maximum
decreased the possibility of any discord among the coalition members.
The goals and principles enshrined in the document will be in force
till the end of the activities of the fourth National Assembly. That’s
to say, till the next elections to be held on the republican scale, the
4 political factions assuming a political responsibility for the ruling
government, commit themselves to working jointly and unanimously.

The `Agreement on Political Coalition’ creates a political support
which is necessary for implementing the reforms in different spheres of
life in the Republic of Armenia and significantly increases the
opportunities of ensuring the country’s stable and unwavering
development and our people’s further progress.