TO START THE ELECTORAL RIVALRY ON THE LEVEL OF THE LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES
Gevorg Haroutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
28 Oct 2008
Armenia

Interview with GALOUST SAHAKYAN, Vice Chair of the Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA)

"Mr. Sahakyan, how did the Republican Party participate in the
elections to the local self-government bodies, which were held in
all the communities of the country till last Sunday?"

"To make thorough and comprehensive summaries, we need time; however,
the general picture is already being sketched. I think, by the
calculations of all the communities, more than 56 percent of the
Community Governors are members of the Republican Party, around 20
percent are representatives of other parties and another 20 percent
are non-partisans.

This proportion is also decisive in a sense that our country should
finally develop a tradition, and all the citizens should realize
that the elections to the local self-government bodies are no less
important than the parliamentary elections. It is in pursuance of
this logic that we propose candidates or declare of our intention to
support any of them.

However, it seems to other people that if we participate in the
elections in some way, we must do all our best for our candidate or
supporter to be successful. Whereas we are convinced that the support
of and responsibility for the party should be displayed after the
election of the candidate. When the Republican endorses any candidate,
it also assumes responsibility for his further activity, even if that
candidate is a non-partisan.

There is the following sad scenario in Armenia: the political teams
begin the electoral rivalry from the top levels. First, they want
their candidate to become the President of the country, then they
want to have a majority of seats in the National Assembly and only
thereafter do they think about becoming a Mayor or a Village Governor.

Whereas, the country’s social-economic conditions will be normal if
all the parties introduce to the people their attitudes and solutions
to the existing problems from the level of the local self-government
elections and make the local authorities accomplished bodies on a
common political front."

"Is it possible to say that the scenario is, nonetheless, beginning
to change considering the fact that no candidates were proposed for
the Community Governor in the past, while now, there is a rivalry
even for the member of the Aldermen’s Council?"

"In any case, it is possible to state that the elections to the local
self-government bodies did not arouse great tensions this time, and
there were very few undesirable incidents. And this picture is the
best evidence that the institute of local self-government is really
becoming accomplished.

It’s time to realize that problems such as waste disposal, water supply
and other issues of local importance are not to be handled by the
President of the country or the National Assembly. The Republican has
carried out consistent work towards strengthening the local communities
and is now directing its efforts to the marzes and villages. For us,
this is a program-related issue."

"What about the fact that 12 percent of the Community Governors
are ARFD members, 6 percent are members of the ‘Rule of Law’
party, 3 percent belong to ‘Prosperous Armenia’ and 1 percent are
representatives of the Armenian Pan-National Movement? Doesn’t
this testify to the fact that the coalition allies become political
contenders in the local communities?"

"This is the guarantee of the proper development of our country and
its political system. The parties which do not participate in the
elections to the local self-government bodies in the marzes, be it
pro-Government or pro-opposition factions, are considered ‘asphalt’
parties. Such parties are set up in the capital town where they
carry out their activity; but as regards our marzes and communities,
they are going to develop in the near future and acquire a great
social-economic importance.

In the electoral context, the state is now conducting a ‘rough
and kind’ policy. First, everything possible is being done for the
elections to be held within the law. Victory in the elections is not
the achievement of given candidate. The important thing is for the
elected person to increase the effectiveness of the pre-determined
program.

Based on this logic, the Republican often endorses a candidate
belonging to another party, because there should always be some
political team supporting each Community Governor."