Statement by Serzh Sargsyan at 15th convention of Republican Party of Armenia
14:00 24/05/2014 >> POLITICS
Today, the President of Armenia and the Chairman of the Republican
Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan participated in the 15th convention of
RPA where he made a statement.
Statement by President of Armenia and Chairman of RPA Serzh Sargsyan
at 15th Convention of RPA
Dear republicans,
Honorable guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Convention of the Republican Party of Armenia is one of the most
important political events of our country, and except touching upon
intra-party matters it will also adopt positions on a number of
national issues.
At the outset, I would like to speak about the Party. About 2 years
have passed since the previous convention. Throughout this time, the
Party has kept on strengthening, crystallizing and expanding; the same
persistent work – the everyday work – is being carried out from Melik
Adamyan Street to Meghri or Tashir. The Party is continuously
developing. The structures, as well as the vertical and horizontal
relationships between these structures become firmer, and this is
indeed obvious.
The perception of the Republican Party among our society, especially
among the young generation is being changed. The Party is becoming one
of the key channels through which active citizens can deliver their
abilities and ideas to various sectors of social life and achieve a
higher level of self-realization. This is the reason we have ensured
such a serious recruitment process at the Party. In spite of purging
our membership roll periodically and not hesitating to fire different
people from the Party, it continues to grow consistently.
Yes, the Republican Party is the ruling political force which
initiates and carries out almost all fundamental reforms in our
country by facing short-lived discontents arising against them. At the
same time, the Republican Party is gradually strengthening its
positions in all communities thereby becoming a guide for communal
life and a real respondent to existing problems, a respondent in word
and deed. The striking illustration of this is the results of all the
elections conducted since our last convention, especially the
elections of local self-governing bodies in different communities in
which the Republican Party has gained convincing victories continuing
to lay down a firm foundation for coming works and victories.
Our party is consistently promoting its international ties as well.
Being a member of the EPP, the RPA has actively participated in EPP
events – conventions, summits, political congresses and others. We
have advanced our relations with a number of EPP member European
parties from Germany, France, Spain, Greece and Cyprus.
Our relations with United Russia Party have risen to a new level –
reciprocal visits, joint events, political contacts. One phase of
Eurasian inter-party consultations initiated jointly with United
Russia has taken place in Yerevan.
In addition, the contacts with the Communist Party of China have been
intensified.
The Republican Party of Armenia utilizes these international contacts
to pursue the national and vital interests of Armenia and Armenian
people, as well as to achieve consolidation of democracy and
modernization of party building.
This is the present reality. However, it does not mean that we are
satisfied with the development rate of the Party. In contrast to
organizational and structural reinforcement works, we are far from
organizing meaningful discussions and building vertical ideological
channels. I see serious unrealized potential here.
The Republican Party is the largest and densest social structure of
our country which is represented in all populated areas and is present
in all population groups, even in smallest ones. This offers a
powerful and natural opportunity to deliver ideas and projects
formulated in Yerevan to everywhere, test them with all our citizens,
examine and bring them back in an enriched form. Moreover, this is the
best mechanism to crystallize the concerns of all social layers
through the party channel, work out and include them in the ongoing
policy agenda. The peasant of Tavush’s Gosh village Artsrun Hovsepyan
should not worry about who to apply and how to do it in order to have
the issue of his house damaged from a landslide addressed, but should
look for a republican living in his amidst being confident that the
latter will help him to put his various concerns on the current policy
agenda.
Possessing this powerful party mechanism, we should give a new impulse
to the abovementioned line of action. It implies persistent work, and
I think that one year is enough to accomplish it.
This is all about inter-party works. Now, I want to talk about the
political landscape and the present and future role of the Republican
Party in that landscape.
It is clear that the evolution of the political landscape and the
civil society in Armenia mirrors the free competition of existing
tendencies, ideas and parties having those ideas. A very interesting
and rich mosaic picture has been formed with little free space on it.
That situation is perfectly represented in the Armenian parliament
which acts as a comprehensive political system.
Naturally, this reality forces us to consolidate, and to tell the
truth, it inevitably results in consolidation. This is true both in
case of the opposition and the ruling party. Moreover, this is a
pivotal achievement on the road to building a modern state.
I think that the ruling party and the opposition are not enemies no
matter how much they criticize each other; even if our citizens get
such an impression produced by wide coverage of passionate political
debates. We do not have to share our homeland; rather than we should
complement each other in order to protect our fatherland and make it
prosperous.
The ruling political party and the opposition are like two hands of a
man; both are necessary because each one performs a clear function.
The mutilation of one does not strengthen the other; the man merely
becomes disabled.
The Republican Party will exclude the prospect of such an event for
our state. It will keep on strengthening its position and role in our
country. However, this should not be done at the expense of other
political forces. Furthermore, the Republican Party will encourage
other political players to unite clearly realizing that teamwork,
crystallization and cohesion are objective imperatives for our
development.
In order to strengthen and promote the political landscape, we will
continue to heal it of its bile, hatred and skepticism. We will shape
our policy based on correctness and respect expecting the same of
other political forces.
I perfectly understand that today’s ruling political force, as well as
the other political parties, is too far to satisfy all the demands of
our citizens regarding the political system. I perfectly understand
(by this I refer to us only in order not to offend others) that we
have not been able to meet simple peoples’ expectations time after
time, we have often tired them out with our clamor, political debates
have been perceived as being idle logomachies, while party competition
being contests end in themselves and having nothing to do with
peoples’ expectations. All of this is very clear. However, we should
understand that implanting a well-functioning political system in our
country is as laborious and time consuming a process as establishing
let us say a government system.
Of course, our state has made huge progress along this road. It is
impossible to compare the present political system with what it was 10
or 20 years ago. Now we are in an absolutely different situation.
However, it is clear that we still have a lot to do both in terms of
promoting the stability and transparency of political parties and
establishing a classic bipolar political system. I mean not only
finding constitutional and legislative solutions but also building up
relevant traditions.
Honorable colleagues,
It is a matter of a plain fact that Armenia’s political forces already
start positioning and repositioning for the 2017-2018 elections.
Everybody does this either latently or publicly. I consider it natural
that the opposition parties are already busy with getting prepared for
the coming parliamentary and presidential elections.
The positions, responsibilities and objectives of the ruling party are
completely different. The coming 3-4 years offer us a great
opportunity to work and make our country move forward. This is exactly
what we are going to do. We still have time until the coming of the
next state elections. We should still ensure the security of Armenia
and Artsakh, as well as sustain economic, social and political
development. We are obliged to make the most of this time period.
Furthermore, in case when the opposition can take part in elections
without real achievements and ruthlessly criticize the authorities,
the ruling party can’t afford such a luxury. The coming years are
going to be very important. For us, they are going to be years of
diligence and concrete outcomes. Everyday work and positive results;
here is the best way to conduct propaganda for a ruling party.
A lot of things in the world do not depend on us, but a lot of things
in our country do depend on us. No force can accomplish more in
Armenia than we, the republicans (at least today). Thus, we should not
deviate from our course and be obsessed with intra-party debates. I am
exhorting you to fight less and work more.
I do not mean that the Republican Party should avoid giving
explanations about its steps. On the contrary, it is our duty to
report and go into details of what we do and why. However, it should
not be done in the form of a campaign. We should not allow the entire
society to be pulled into the pre-election turmoil before the time has
come. It is hard to expect good things to happen when a whole country
is solely concentrated on a political struggle leaving all things
aside.
We will embark on a different road. The government program is ready.
It is an entire complex of interconnected measures directed to proceed
with implementing current reforms, backing manufacturers, creators and
villagers, giving new impulses to small and medium business
development and encouraging honest work.
Taking into consideration the global economic trends and the negative
impulses produced by key markets, the government program has slightly
reduced the economic growth target for subsequent years in order to
raise the level of effective risk management. However, I am sure that
the government will make great efforts at achieving much higher real
results and exceeding the target indicators.
We have seriously examined all our subsequent steps. Mr. Hovik
Abrahamyan has already managed to create positive expectations towards
the government activities with his experience, management skills and
working style. I am confident that everybody, including our
businessmen, workers and peasants, teachers and doctors, will always
be in the focus of the state’s attention. Today the government is
strong and confident and enjoys the support of the Republican Party of
Armenia.
Moreover, there is great responsibility put on the shoulders of the
government members. Their work is going to be measured by concrete
results, as well as by their devotion and diligence toward work. There
are not indispensable persons. Officials neglecting their duties will
be rapidly replaced. Our human resources reserve is multiple times as
large as some people can imagine.
We have defined a new level of responsibility for the activities of
our party members included in local self-governing bodies. All in all,
we are going to pay greater attention to the activities of local
self-governing bodies. Those are primary governing links, and people
expect the so called “state support” first and foremost of local
authorities. The intensive engagement of republicans in this sector is
constantly growing. Consequently, the party channels should promote
much more effective activities regarding the circulation of
initiatives and ideas and supplying them to self-governing links.
Dear republicans,
Coming years are going to be a period of expanding our economic
potential and promoting the public welfare. This is unequivocal. We
will continue to take clear steps and make utmost efforts in that
direction. There will be positive changes concerning both the
promotion of economic management and enlargement of consumer markets.
We have already entered the final phase of becoming a member of the
Customs Union. We expect the Customs Union’s large market to stimulate
our economic growth and are confident that our investment and export
growth rates will be considerably higher. In addition, we are also
going to take individual approaches towards our businessmen and
foreign investors.
The social and economic growth of our country is closely related to
systemic changes. In this regard, the constitutional amendments will
be of essential importance. Those amendments will give completely new
incentives for establishing a stable democratic system in our country
and building a lawful state. We should state clearly and with
self-criticism that more than two decades after gaining independence,
for both objective and subjective reasons, we still can’t assert
unequivocally that we have laid down a firm foundation for our
democracy, have ensured protection of human rights, as well as
independency and impartiality of our courts.
All of us should plainly understand that the stable democracy and the
lawful state are the pillars of our national security. We have no
alternative. Accordingly, the constitutional amendments should help us
fulfill this end purpose.
Our political system has a great need for modernization. It is
over-personified and over-centralized. There is an obvious
disproportion between the real power volume of various bodies and
their political responsibility. The system of the executive branch is
imperfect, lacks a solid internal logic, as well as a clear division
of functions and powers. All of this is quite detrimental to effective
management and the level of public confidence toward the activities of
state officials.
You are aware that the Commission for Constitutional Amendments has
proposed, inter alia, to make a transition to the parliamentary system
of government. Regardless of my preferences, we should make this issue
a subject of serious and impartial discussions, beyond all kinds of
circumstantial speculations. I do not accept the approaches of the
political forces and figures who suddenly decided that there is no
need to amend the Constitution forgetting the fact that until quite
recently they affirmatively demanded the alteration of the political
system. I reaffirm once again what I said at the meeting with the
members of the Commission for Constitutional Amendments: “People,
political forces and today’s passing interests are all short-lived;
the Constitution is for generations.”
The radical changes of any political system are closely related to the
judicial system. All of us should clearly understand that we can
neither ensure secure protection of human rights nor a safe investment
environment without an independent and impartial judicial system.
Thus, one of the primary objectives of the constitutional amendments
is to find up to date and lasting solutions to the existing judicial
issues.
These questions are of primary importance, and they should become a
subject of examination at all levels in our party. We do not have much
time, and I expect that already in summer, the RPA Executive Body will
have an opportunity to scrutinize summaries regarding the results of
such active discussions.
Dear republicans,
Regardless of anything, the primary objective for the coming years,
our present and future objective, is to ensure the security of Armenia
and Artsakh. 20 years have passed since the ceasefire agreement. Yet
for both the victor and the loser the war is not over; it continues on
a different platform. The victor knows well the price of victory paid
with blood and losses during the imposed war. The loser is filled with
a devastating fury to regain a victory; a fury which deprives him of
reason and a desire to conduct constructive negotiations.
Today our neighbor who lost the war launched on his own initiative
tries to wage an information war by editing the history with an axe
and distorting the reality. Bankrupt on the ideological platform, he
prefers form over content, gradually increasing his expenditures on
armaments. Many of you sitting here have enjoyed the taste of victory
and will agree that the war is won not by bullets but by people,
especially by their character, their will, their convictions, their
faith and most importantly their love for freedom. It is won by
citizens, the proud and responsible citizens of our fatherland, united
not around party membership, taste, preferences or pocket contents but
round the conviction of a fair cause.
According to numerous international grades, our neighbor builds an
authoritarian and militarized society, conducting Armenophobic
propaganda day and night and instilling hatred and hostility in his
society.
We know that the militarization of a society reaches an impasse. A
pluralistic society where everyone is free to express his ideas, where
freedom of speech is guaranteed and acceptable decisions are made as a
result of preoccupied debates on essential and main issues, is viable
and strong. We are on the way to building such a society. With all our
shortcomings, we have already covered a long road in this direction.
Likewise, we will continue to fortify the border, strengthen our state
and reinforce our society in coming years.
The development of political and social relations in our country has
entered a completely new phase. We are witnessing processes which are
difficult to perceive at first sight, but are utterly changing the
meaning and rules of those relations. Today, all projects having
public importance succeed only when they are accomplished by stable
institutional units. The role of purposeful movements in social arena
and the role of large and organized parties in political arena are
rising.
This tendency will keep on advancing. There is no alternative to this.
It is driven by the maturity of time and our society. As a result, the
decreasing role of even the brightest personalities will free up space
for group engagement.
With their engagement level and wide availability, large parties
become guides for adjusting political developments and almost nullify
such phenomena as “Hi, I am this and I have come to master you.” The
political landscape makes a transition to the horizontal management
model in which inclusive institutions become key players.
Not seeing these trends means to lag behind the time. Moreover, we
will keep on stimulating the way our political and social landscape
develops. This is the best method to achieve effective democracy and
to raise the self-actualization level of each Armenian citizen.
During protests we can sometimes hear young men chanting these
wonderful words: “We are the lawful masters of our country.” This is
of course a very inspiring fact. We should make each citizen feel
himself the master of his country and realize this possibility
effectively. Citizens’ convictions and protests can be realized
through civil society movements when they are given open opportunities
to be actively engaged in social processes. Citizens’ convictions and
their ideas about state policy can also be realized in the political
landscape through the availability of inclusive and active party
channels. The idea of an omniscient and savior leader is futile, and
leads to a completely different place. People are well aware of it.
Progress is not made by sitting and expecting the president or the
prime minister to appear and tell us what we should do. There is no
such a truth.
Progress is made through unification, combination of opinions, ideas
and discontents, as well as through effective mechanisms allowing us
to highlight them, work out and accomplish. This is exactly the road
along which Armenia has advanced at least for the last few years.
The Republican Party of Armenia dominates the political landscape and
is the largest political structure. Accordingly, our party has to
fulfill a twofold objective. Firstly, it should contribute to
developing and crystallizing the political landscape, as well as to
ensuring equal opportunities to promote political parties and
establish a classic bipolar political system.
Secondly, the development of the Republican Party should not fall
behind the time. Our party will continue to grow stronger accompanied
by the reinforcement of the party-society relations. We should give a
new impulse to intra-party democracy and foster meaningful involvement
of women’s and youth organizations. Along the continuous growth of
bottom-up information channels the people working at 2 Melik Adamyan
Street should pay greater attention to analytic components. We should
make this and multiple other goals our work priorities.
In coming years the entire political system will be overloaded with
work. The ruling party should stimulate this process by continuously
channeling filtered and developed ideas in order to test policy
results on the spot and ensure feedback.
Dear republicans,
Concluding my speech, I call you to get ready for serious and hard
work. The ideas and projects we intend to bring to life, and the steps
we intend to undertake, are of vital importance for our country and
people. The reputation of our party, as well as of the whole country
depends on it. Being the largest party in Armenia is not a reason for
relaxing and filling with unwarranted self-confidence. On the
contrary, we should constantly reaffirm our position as a leading
party with our work, devotion and purposefulness.
I wish all of us effective activities for the glory of our fatherland
and for the welfare of our people.
Thank you for your attention.
http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2014/05/24/serj-sargsyan-hhk/