THE NEW LEADER OF REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Lragir.am
10-11-2007 23:11:01
The eleventh conference of the Republican Party, which was held on
November 10 at the Dinamo stadium, elected Serge Sargsyan as leader of
the party who was the chair of the board of the party, and after the
death of Andranik Margaryan he was the interim leader of the party.
Besides, the Republican Party decided to nominate Serge Sargsyan as
president of Armenia, in appreciation of his great contribution to the
nation.
After this decision Serge Sargsyan addressed the conference already as
a presidential candidate, although officially he has not been nominated
yet. Nevertheless, he defined the issues which should be in the focus
of the future president’s attention. According to the new leader of the
Republican Party, a new political situation has emerged in the country
and the status of the Republican Party has changed essentially, which
supposes great responsibility for sustaining the stable and predictable
course in future.
`Dear friends, the modern world is full of challenges. New geopolitical
centers are emerging, the military balance is distorted, terrorist
movements are spreading,’ Serge Sargsyan worries. Among global
challenges he mentions the economic processes underway in the world,
the growing prices of fuel and other products on the international
market, which threatens the Armenian economy as well. `The growing
price of fuel and some food products has already affected every
Armenian family,’ Serge Sargsyan says.
According to him, Armenia is in a region which is full of controversies
and dangers. `Events reoccur in almost all the neighboring countries,
which worry us. The unsettled ethnic conflicts and political problems
in Georgia, the tensions between the United States and Iran, the
militaristic moods and behavior of Turkey, the protracted problem of
Nagorno Karabakh require additional efforts and resource from us,’
Serge Sargsyan says. According to him, we need to be prepared for the
worst developments to be able to meet global challenges.
As to the internal problems, Serge Sargsyan thinks `over the past 15
complicated years we have managed to build an independent state based
on the basic principles of democracy.’ Serge Sargsyan thinks the
problem now is to strengthen the state, to guarantee justice,
solidarity and legality. The Armenian presidential candidate considers
it necessary to promote European integration. `Introduction of the best
experience and standards for the citizens and businesses, which makes
their activity more effective on the one hand, and on the other hand,
promotes relations with foreign partners, creating mechanisms abroad
for the protection of their interests,’ Serge Sargsyan says. He thinks
it is also important to promote relations with other countries,
pointing to Russia as a good example.
As to the resolution of the Karabakh issue, Serge Sargsyan thinks the
issue cannot be settled at once, it requires steps which should be part
of a package, however. Besides, Serge Sargsyan enumerated the issues
which, in his opinion, cannot be even discussed. `The right of the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh for self-determination should be recognized
internationally, and conditions should be created for its fulfillment.
The Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic must have border,
and the security of the people and borders of Nagorno-Karabakh must be
guaranteed,’ Serge Sargsyan says.
With regard to the internal problems, Serge Sargsyan says it is
important to create an atmosphere of cooperation in which every citizen
is able to participate in the process of development of the country.
`We must avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and personifying
them,’ Serge Sargsyan says. He mentioned the importance of the second
generation of reforms, using the notion of the second stage of reforms
though. According to the prime minister, the priorities of that stage
are national security, competitive science and education, effective
governance, even development of territories, social security of
citizens.
`The solution of these problems is the key which will open up all the
doors for development in front of the government. To rule out
corruption, black economy, unfair competition, it is necessary to
overcome the psychological complex and shape an unfriendly attitude
toward the abovementioned phenomena. Tax avoidance, corruption should
be viewed as abject and condemned by the society. Nepotism should be
eliminated, and we cannot call friends, relatives, colleagues the
people who avoid paying taxes and tolerate this vice. We should be
mindful that it is the most dangerous disease for the state. We will
demand that the law enforcement agencies battle corruption more
tenaciously, and we will put revealed crimes to public debate,’ Serge
Sargsyan says. He says it should be transparent to guarantee justice
and confidence of people. Therefore, according to Serge Sargsyan, it is
necessary to conduct a good election, with regard to which the prime
minister says, in addition, ambiguously, that they have sufficient
political will, experience and organization against `threats from all
directions’.
P.S. Serge Sargsyan told his vision of Armenia in five years. He thinks
the income of the citizens of Armenia will double, every new family
will have an apartment and will afford to buy a car.