ARF kicks off its campaign
Yerkir.am
April 13, 2007
A rally attended by thousands of people was held at Charles Aznavur
Square in Yerevan to launch the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s
election campaign.
Despite the bad weather people came to the rally from different
regions, from villages and different communities of Yerevan. They came
to prove that they are supporting the party that was created by the
people. And it is this support that has sustained the party for 117
years.
Representative of the ARF’s Bureau Hrant Margarian, Representative of
the ARF ‘s Supreme Body Armen Rustamian, member of the ARF’s Bureau
and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Vahan Hovhannissian and
the head of the ARF’s parliamentary faction Hrayr Karapetian made
statements during the rally.
`People trust the ARF as they would trust an old friend.’
`Welcome to a new era that I am sure we will start together on May
12,’ member of the ARF’s Bureau, Deputy Chairman of the National
Assembly Vahan Hovhannissian said. `We all came here today to prove
that we trust the ARF, we trust it the way we would trust an old
friend,’ Hovhannissian stated adding that the ARF’s goal is to ensure
that the government should treat the people as its friend. `What ARF
must do in the first place is to turn its face towards the people’.
The government that we will form together on May 12 shall do this.
Hovhannissian believes we can speak much about the party’s political,
social and economic platforms. The ARF goes for this elections relying
on its ideas, its supporters and goals and not on money and cheating.
Every single candidate included in the ARF’s proportional list
deserves the voters’ trust because there are no false biographies on
the list, and the candidates have nothing to add.
`We are strong because of the people’s trust. You can read our list
and you will see that it includes both members of ARF and people from
outside, it includes both young and old people, both men and
women. There is one thing that makes our list different from other
parties’ lists ` not ingle candidate from our list has anything to
hide in his past. If they are professionals and intellectuals, they
are true professionals and intellectuals, they have not bought their
diplomas. If they are freedom fighters, they have truly fought in the
mountains of Karabagh, and not on the asphalt.’
Hovhannissian said ARF is strong and is getting stronger and people’s
participation in the rally proves this. The people’s trust is the
guarantee that will take the party and the people towards victory on
May 12.
`ARF can look straight in people’s eyes.’
The statement made by the ARF’s Supreme Body Representative Armen
Rustamian
This is the third time that the ARF participates in the parliamentary
elections and it has become a nice tradition to launch the electoral
campaign with a rally. This rally is symbolical because only the party
that has nothing to be ashamed of and can look straight in the
people’s eyes can hold a rally like this. I am sure people will all
agree that after the last elections the ARF did much more that the
number of mandates it received allowed.
We had the same situation in 1999 when we had only 9 mandates. We
managed to correct our country’s development path towards national and
state goals. In 2003 we got 11 mandates but managed to keep this path
unchanged.
It is natural that the ARF’s strength and problem-solving capacity
will increase drastically if we receive more mandates after these
elections. The elections on May 12 will determine the upcoming
political regime because we will have presidential elections in a year
and the result of these elections will largely depend on the
parliamentary elections.
The significance of the upcoming elections cannot be
overestimated. Most importantly, we must ensure during the electoral
campaign that the voters too come to realize this.
They must understand that every voter’s passiveness will damage our
common interests. It is only through active participation in the
elections that we can accomplish our goals. We have two goals. First,
to ensure that our people feel safe and secure. This sense of security
is lacking because people do not feel that the state is taking care of
them.
The second important issue is that in this period we have had fragile
development, a fragile stability and balance and the ARF has often
been constrained not to disturb this fragile balance.
We have managed to make others take a more tolerant position with our
cautious approach. Today, it is possible to have a serious
breakthrough in the country’s development. ARF believes it is possible
to achieve a breakthrough in all spheres ` socio-economic,
demographic, human rights, by undertaking serious measures and not
merely making declarative statements.
The ARF is able to achieve this breakthrough. No matter how many
mandates we get in the National Assembly we will dedicate ourselves to
the solution of these problems. I wish we would gather here before the
next elections and speak about greater accomplishments. I wish we
would be able to look at the future with more confidence and leave the
Armenia of our dreams to our children.
`We are not a party created around an individual’
ARF’s only majoritarian candidate head of the ARF’s parliamentary
faction Hrayr Karapetian running in Arabkir community in Yerevan noted
that the ARF has always supported a fully proportional system when the
parliament is formed only from political forces. Karapetian will go
for the elections having the voters’ confidence and support for the
ARF.
Even in this constituency where almost all political parties are
represented the ARF will use only political means of campaigning and
expects the same approach from other candidates.
The ARF has enjoyed people’s support for 117 years and this time too,
the party will work collectively to achieve victory. `We are not a
party created around any individual,’ Karapetian said adding that
every single deputy elected to the National Assembly from the ARF has
always acted and will continue acting on behalf of the ARF
implementing the ARF’s programs.
Karapetian said there are people and political forces that want to get
into the parliament by all means with the purpose of gaining business
profits and using legislation for their personal interests and
needs. Such people use all possible means to get into the parliament.
`Today they manipulate your social conditions, the difficult economic
conditions. However, tomorrow when they get your votes and get into
the parliament they will first of all harm the most vulnerable groups
with their activities.’ They will harm the people because they do not
pay taxes and when there is no money in the budget it is not possible
to pay salaries and increase the pensions. It is not possible to
implement the programs that are included in the ARF’s platform.
`Meanwhile, the ARF knows how to increase the salaries and the
pensions. This increase should come from the shadow sector of the
economy, the sector where large tax payers do not pay taxes, where the
whole burden of taxes lies on the small and medium businesses.’
Karapetian said these people were the ones who opposed the draft law
on minimum living standard developed by the ARF’s faction. These
people were the ones who opposed the draft law on bodyguard
service. With the people’s support the ARF will be able to pursue the
ARF’s struggle for social justice, freedom and independence,
Karapetian concluded. ` Through the struggle of free individuals in
the truly independent country shall we have a Unified Armenia.’
The statement made by the ARF’s Bureau Representative Hrant Margarian
Dear fellow citizens, The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party is
starting its march towards the victory. A victory that will first of
all be the victory of the nation. A victory that we will accomplish
together.
We are expecting your participation in the elections. We are expecting
that you will give your votes to the ARF with confidence and trust. We
are looking forward to working diligently so that we can win together.
We are different from everyone. We are not going to spread hatred with
our campaign, we are not going to threaten or bribe our voters. We are
entering the political arena with our organizational capacity, our
work and our platform.
I am sure that our wise and cautious nation, our nation that has
dignity will ignore empty threats, temporary pressures and bribes and
will give its vote to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. By voting
for the ARF you will ensure your victory.
We are sure that we will have our people’s vote of confidence. ARF is
the most experienced and at the same time the most vibrant
organization in the Armenian political reality. ARF is a pan-Armenian
organization that is present in more than 30 countries. ARF includes
all segments of the Armenian nation. ARF is a true organization that
was not established around any individual or group interests.
ARF is a party that has a rich biography, a functioning structure,
ideology, collective accountability and responsibility.
ARF is the party of true patriots and is the friend of the most
vulnerable segments of our nation. ARF was there in the liberation war
in Artsakh, ARF is there in the most recent processes of determination
in Javakhq. Gevorg Chavush, Aram Manukian, Levon Shant, Siamanto,
Daniel Varuzhan, Tatul Krpeyan, Artur Mkrtchian, Shahen Meghrian and
many many other outstanding patriots were ARF members.
When our organization was outlawed and exiled we did not accommodate
to the violence and overcame it through underground struggle. Then we
joined the government for the sake of our country and our nation. ARF
always saw the truth and called things with their names. ARF never
deviated from its proclaimed goals and never identified itself with
any negative phenomena. ARF always preserved its own identity and
adhered to its principles.
The people will trust the ARF, will unite around it and vote for it
because ARF is the political force that has a program and will to
implement that program, because the Armenian nation is the Alpha and
the Omega for the ARF. We want to govern the nation without ruling it,
we want to lead the nation.
Restoration of justice and creation of development opportunities for
all is our goal. ARF has the will and determination to realize this
because ideological strength and political will is needed to fight
corruption in the country. ARF is the force to do this because ARF
aims at conscious support of the nation.
ARF’s supporters are people with dignity, people who are ready for
struggle. No one should solve his problems through criminal
relation. No one should feel unprotected in the country. Everyone
should be equal in front of the law.
ARF has a vision of the future. It has a vision of organizing and
developing the nation and the country. ARF is not dominated by the
momentary interests of any individuals or groups. Political power is
not a means of solving personal problems and gaining personal wealth
for the ARF.
ARF strives for national development, national security and
consolidation of a powerful homeland. ARF believes that it is possible
to significantly increase the population of Armenia. Because with the
ARF’s victory poverty will be eliminated in the country.
Our economy has the potential that, if used and managed properly, will
allow increasing the minimum salary and pension to 30,000 or 50,000
drams.
Dear nation, last time we gained 11% of your votes. We joined the
government and managed to accomplish some success.
Today we are relying on you to form the next government that would
ensure a true fight against corruption, protectionism and the
atmosphere of impunity.
We will address every citizen, we will present ourselves the way we
are, and we will win the vote of confidence of our nation.
I am sure our voters can differentiate between the good and the
bad. Our nation will vote for the ARF because they place their
children’s future above everything else.
Dear nation, we are the same for you, we are there for you, we are
your old friend. Let us go together towards the victory’.
Many popular singers performed at the concert that followed the rally.
New songs dedicated to the ARF were performed at the rally for the
first time.
By Karine MANGASSARIAN and Sevak HAKOBIAN