VAZGEN MANUKYAN TOOK THE DIFFICULT STEP
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 28 2007
The conference of the National Democratic Union affirmed November
28 the decision of the NDU board to nominate Vazgen Manukyan for the
presidential election. Afterwards Vazgen Manukyan thanked the delegates
of the conference and said with a joke the most difficult step, the
nomination, has been taken, the second step, becoming a president,
is easier. In Armenia it is as easy as falling off a log, Vazgen
Manukyan said in a joke. In his speech, however, he gave a serious
overview of the present situation in Armenia, and an evaluation of
the past and the present. Vazgen Manukyan thinks the events of the
recent years in Armenia are a chain reaction from 1996.
The leader of the NDU thinks the formers rigged the idea of freedom,
the present ones are rigging the national idea. Meanwhile, the leader
of the NDU thinks the secret of development of Armenia is the fair
combination of these two ideas.
"When we reject the national idea, the idea of freedom does not work,
when we reject freedom, the national idea does not work. Both are
interrelated," Vazgen Manukyan says. According to him, for a change
of situation in Armenia it is necessary to replace the system rather
than persons therefore it is necessary to come together around ideas,
not persons, and people will go for this unification, for if people go
for such unification, success is guaranteed, and after coming to power
the president cannot forget about people and avoid responsibility,
saying one thing and doing another thing.
In this context, Vazgen Manukyan says a president whom people trust can
form a good government if he comes to power because the parliament
majority cannot oppose to a president who enjoys the confidence
of people since such a president will be stronger. He hints at the
opinion that according to the amended Constitution the government is
formed by the parliament majority.
Vazgen Manukyan thinks the Karabakh issue is more important in the
presidential election than ever. He is against a defensive attitude,
that is the thesis of returning Karabakh and living at ease, as well
as the option of no patch of land. Vazgen Manukyan thinks the best
and realistic option is for Armenia to make time work in favor of it
because it is the only way of changing the tough stance of Azerbaijan
and forcing it to conduct real negotiations. The best way of making
time work in favor of Armenia is to form a free Armenia. "Give freedom
to Armenians and watch them develop all the spheres," Vazgen Manukyan
says. Besides, he thinks that Karabakh should settle the issue of
Karabakh through negotiations, and Armenia has no right to consider
returning territories because it is the rights of Armenia.
Moreover, Vazgen Manukyan says we cannot achieve peace through
returning territories, but we will weaken Karabakh and force Azerbaijan
to wage a war.
The leader of the NDU thinks that after election the future president
of Armenia must change the Constitution because people did not adopt
the referendum in either 1995 or 2005. After ensuring the adoption
of the new Constitution by people the president should hold a new
election and ensure a government formed by the will of people. Vazgen
Manukyan urges the political forces to come together for these ideas
and structural changes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
