THE PROBLEM OF STATE IS TO GUARANTEE ITS CITIZEN’S RIGHTS

It is going to be held elections of legislative body this spring. There are discussions going on whether 100 percent proportional or majoritarian. But nobody wants to confess that no fair elections were held in Armenia ever. The means of electoral falsifications and the tactics are only changed.

If during the elections held during the governance of first president bunch of ballots were thrown into the box from pockets or other places of body, during the governance of second president there was a “Karusel” (“Swing”) mechanism according to which the resident of one community could easily go to another and vote there. During the governance of third president there have not been held any elections yet (except some elections of municipal organs), so we cannot held that it would be similar to previous ones and would be called “one step forward”.

There is no better model for choosing legislative, executive or municipal authorities than elections. In addition, it is impossible to have ideal elections.

It is important to know:

1. The vote of each voter is important.
2. Each voter not only has a right to vote but also is responsible for the situation that is today.
3. Everybody has a civil obligation to prevent electoral falsifications which are criminally liable action stipulated by law but not to speak about electoral falsifications and bribes when after elections it is clear that their candidate had not enough votes.

In my opinion, the elections can be considered invalid only if there were significant violations during the elections. By saying significant violation one should understand the following: the number of electoral falsifications (it does not matter for whom it is done) should exceed the difference of the winner-candidate’s votes and the second place candidate’s votes at least by one vote. Otherwise the violations would be recorded but can never be considered as a significant one which will influence the results of elections. It is also important the atmosphere of pre-electoral campaign in which there should be not only equal conditions for all candidates but also it should be excluded any state interference. This year proportional elections would be held the responsibility of which will fall on the general governmental bodies of the country represented by the president of the republic. As a result of fair elections the country would enter into the new stage, the high authority power will differ from the previous ones and the term “falsified election” will be excluded from our lexicon and will be for neighbor countries only.