TODAY WE DO NOT HAVE ARMENIA WE DREAMT OF, ARMAN MELIKIAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. "Today we do not have the Armenia
we dreamt of and we are not on the way that will lead us to it,
as we made rather serious mistakes on our way and today we have
received a disabled government system," Arman Melikian, a candidate
for presidency, stated at the January 17 press conference.
According to him, for having "the Armenia we dreamt of" we should get
rid of the corruption government system in the country by introducing
a democratic government system. According to A. Melikian, Armenia
should become a country where a citizen will have a possibility to
take a direct part in country’s developments. Otherwise, in his words,
it means that the state does not appreciate its citizen, and the state
"has been seized by a group of people," who try to use their position
for serving it for their own interests.
The candidate for presidency said that he has not included promises
on raising pensions, salaries, benefits in his preelection program,
as it can be fulfilled only in case of real estimation of resources.
Touching upon the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, A. Melikian said that
in case of being elected President he will suggest reconsidering
the current approaches in the negotiations process. In his words,
the approaches should be completed with "universal, fair, acceptable
principles, including those for the Azeri party." At the same time,
he said that he is against any discussion on returning the liberated
territories. According to A. Melikian, the territories should become
the ownership of the Armenians of Azerbaijan as a compensation for
their losses.