PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ONE MORE STEP TO INDEPENDENT STATEHOOD
Leonid Martirosyan
Azat Artsakh Newspaper
April 23, 2010
Nagorno Karabakh Republic
On April 19th in the NKR pre-election campaign for elections of the
fifth convocation in National Assembly of the republic planned on
May 23rd started. Elections will pass on proportional and majority
system. 44 candidates apply for 16 majority places in parliament. In
elections on proportional system "Free native land" (in the list –
35 persons), Democratic party of Artsakh (32 persons), AR Federation
(10 persons) and Communist Party of Nagorno-Karabakh (5 persons)
parties will take part, for which it is in total reserved only 17
"proportional" deputy armchairs. This is a statistical component of
the coming parliamentary elections. However elections, certainly,
are not simply statistics. Behind dry figures – the major political
event defining the further development of independent Karabakh
statehood. Parliamentary elections are important event for any country,
however owing to specificity of the NKR as independent, but for the
present not recognized state at the international level they find much
more actual value. At least because the world steadfastly and even
with predilection watches processes of a political life occurring
at us, and we should prove constantly the solvency as the mature
and capable state living and developing according to the norms of
the civilized world. And we have already proved it time and again,
regularly holding elections of all levels which invariably received
an appreciation of independent international observers. All it is,
certainly, fairly. But another thing is also fair – we carry out
elections, nevertheless, not to like, and first of all – for itself,
for the further development and strengthening of our statehood paid at
the cost of a life of many and many our compatriots. Differently, for
the present and future of Artsakh. That is why forthcoming elections
should become one more confident step on a way to democratization of
a public life and building of originally independent sovereign state.
We think present parliamentary elections have every chance to become
a new stage in the process of development of democratic system of
the NKR which has found irreversible character. It is caused in a
certain measure also by that forward character in our republic finds
development of parliament and parliamentarism of the electoral system.
Elections of National Assembly of a new convocation, as it is
known, will carry out on the basis of the updated Electoral code
and according to modern lines of development of the parliamentarism,
assuming formation of parliament mainly on principles of proportional
system. If on the previous parliamentary elections the parity of deputy
places of proportional and majority system compiled 11 to 22, nowadays
as it was marked above, places in National Assembly are distributed,
let and with small, but already prevalence of proportional system –
17 and 16. In the long term it is foreseen to generate as much as
possible professional parliament with growth of relative density
of proportional places. Certainly, it is possible to argue long on
advantages or lacks of that and other system, as there is not their
unequivocal estimation, and hardly it will be. One believe, that
at majority system there is a direct contact between the voter and
the candidate while at proportional system there is a risk to catch
"a cat in a bag". Their opponents consider, that only "proportional"
deputies, instead of non-party singles are able to make decisions
on realization of the important programs and to bear responsibility
for their performance. All opinions are worth of respect, however,
we find, it is important not so much the one who becomes the deputy,
and how they will defend interests of the voters and what contribution
will bring in the further development of the Karabakh statehood,
in the work of regulation of life of our citizens.
In any case either candidates, or the citizens possessing the right
to elect, should remember, that last and solving word for voters. And
deputies should answer for voters. On the last it depends, how will
be the National Assembly in coming five years, whether it will be
able to be engaged effectively in legislative activity.
Process of creation of capable statehood goes on. The parliament of the
previous convocation has practically brought the current legislation
into accord with requirements of the Constitution adopted in 2006,
has finished reforms in judicial- legal system. But life does not
stop on a place, and consequently lawmaking – permanent process,
caused by forward development of socio-economic and political sphere.
We want to believe, that our compatriots will concern elections not
formally, and from civic stands, with comprehension of their extreme
importance. And present parliamentary elections will carry out by
traditions of elective culture of our people developed already for
years of independence – on the basis of really free will of voters.
Probably, it will sound pathosly, but future of Artsakh depends on it,
as people itself decide the destiny.