HAK demands presidential elections in October
The Armenian National Congress (HAK) laid several issues, including the demand for snap elections on the table of negotiations during a meeting with the governmental delegation.
AGENDA OF NEGOTIATIONS OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WITH GOVERNMENTAL DELEGATION (presented at meeting on 26 July 2011)
Proposal to discuss the "Necessary measures for holding snap presidential and parliamentary elections and ensuring that they are free, fair and legitimate for a speedy formation of a legitimate government in Armenia" is on the agenda of the HAK-authorities dialogue aimed at overcoming the interior political crisis in the country.
Description of the created political and social-economic crisis
-Assaults and presidential elections that were falsified through stealing hundreds of thousands of votes, recognition of the government's illegitimacy on those grounds, the massacres of March 1 and the lack of revelation of the culprits for the past three and a half years have led to a deep political crisis.
-One of the structural defects of the electoral process has become the falsification of votes through multiple votes under the names of 500,000 people who are included in the voters' lists, but are never in Armenia and this is what ensures the current government's victory.
-As a result, the government doesn't owe it to the people's support, but the oligarchs, criminal elements and phony state officials that misuse power. The latter ensure the government's illegitimate victory.
-As a result, the people have a corrupt, inaccountable government. The people have lost hope in all wings of government and state institutes, and the widespread lack of confidence has deepened. The country's administration is in a legitimacy crisis.
We see failure in all spheres of government. The government has established illegitimate taxing and customs privileges, serves the interests of oligarchs that dominate illegimate monopolies, contribute to their enrichment, are unable to prevent their whims and fight against the growing corruption. The people don't support any government program. The country is in an economic and management crisis.
The consequences: ongoing economic downfall, worsening of social state, widespread growth of discontent and devastating amount of emigration. With an unresolved Karabakh conflict, the military balance is shifting in favor of Azerbaijan and is causing a threat to our national security.
SOLUTIONS
The only way of getting the country out of this situation and overcoming the inter-political crisis is to form a legitimate government that will return people's faith in state institutions. Only a legitimate government that has the people's unreserved support will be able to destroy the defective economic system hinged on illegitimate monopolies and taxing/customs privileges, contribute to enterprise, create an effective economic system hinged on free and fair economic competition.
Based on the above mentioned, we consider the following necessary steps for overcoming the political and social-economic crisis:
1. Hold snap presidential elections in mid-October.
2. Right after the snap elections, by preserving the prescribed periods, hold snap parliamentary elections.
3. Accept in advance the following package for ensuring the legitimacy of elections:
a. Form the Central Electoral and subordinate commissions with the government, which takes on the responsibilty for the elections, guaranteeing the legitimacy of the entire electoral process.
b. Rule out the majoritarian procedure from the NA electoral system, and replenish all 131 seats with a proportional electoral procedure.
c. Add the duration of free airtime for the state elections on Public Television by at least five times and broadcast the programs from 20:00 to 24:00. Set the price for paid airtime at a price that is no more than that for business advertisements.
d. Post the signed lists at a place that is appropriate for those who wish to see them, and provide proxies and observers with the copies of those lists upon their demand.
e. Ensure civil control over voters' lists that are formed at military units.
f. To rule out multiple votes, leave a trace of ink on the hand of the voter.
g. Place cameras that will tape the voting, the counting of votes and results. A proxy should receive the copy of the video upon demand.
h. Send invitations to 2,000 OSCE/ODIHR observers.
i. To ensure propaganda and true pluralism, create a system for granting broadcasting licenses that will allow all political parties, including the Armenian National Congress to receive a broadcasting license and take advantage of equal opportunities.
Measures for raising the level of efficiency of the dialogue
Let us remind the demands stated in the HAK's July 19 statement that are a necessary condition for ensuring the sides' equality and the society's right to receive full-fledged information.
1. The meetings should either be broadcast live or the Congress delegates should have at least half an hour airtime to express their views on the meeting on Public Television after each meeting.
2. The ban on broadcasting materials providing information about the Armenian National Congress's rallies on Public Television and other television channels should be lifted.
3. There should be an end to police brutality before Congress rallies, different obstacles, particularly the disbandment of public and other means of transportation.
With this we consider our proposals formulated and we propose to turn them into a subject for discussion.
