Published since 07.2002
Published on April 25, 2008
STERN START: PM PROMISES TO LEAN ON MINISTERS/CREATE PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT DECISIONS
- While authorities are making promises to the international community to weaken internal political tension and remain committed to their obligations to the Council of Europe, the newly formed government gives assurances that it will work and implement “ambitious” programs. The multi-layer government composed of 17 ministers headed by nonpartisan Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, accepting “numerous challenges” in the next five years will try to implement all programs about which promises were lavishly made during the pre-election and post-election periods. Tigran Sargsyan, who took the office of prime minister by a decree of President Serzh Sargsyan (no relation) on April 9, said during the meeting of the government that members of the executive should have two basic documents on their desks – the program of the government’s activities and President Serzh Sargsyan’s pre-election program. “These two documents are the most important documents of your work desk and every day in the course of activities you should follow as to what steps you made in order to make that set goals reachable for us,” Tigran Sargsyan said. Sargsyan, who had earlier stated that he would follow that the ministers strictly fulfilled their duties and that “otherwise, an evaluation of their activities will be made in a public form”, said that according to his observations, they have considerable work ahead. “My studies have shown that, unfortunately, our workers cannot yet work using modern methods. You know, it is not shameful not to know, it is shameful not to learn and we must begin from ourselves, we ourselves must learn to get acquainted with the world’s modern experience and work to introduce what is acceptable for us in the Republic of Armenia. Reforms are impossible without learning. Therefore, there will be one task for our team – to learn,” said Prime Minister Sargsyan who had vowed that information about their meetings would be available online. Whether online or using old methods, the new government, which assumed its duties in crisis situation, will, according to analysts, have to work with doubled energies. “Little time has passed since the government began its work and only after some time will it be possible to give an estimation to the work done,” independent political analyst Yervand Bozoyan told ArmeniaNow. New President Serzh Sargsyan, who during his inauguration ceremony stated his willingness to work and make reforms, while introducing the prime minister said that he believed with Tigran Sargsyan’s help they could carry out all ambitious “second general reform” programs that they have envisaged. Programs are ambitious indeed, however while many had been sure before the bloody March 1 events that claimed the lives of ten people, leaving hundreds wounded and arrested that the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), which is a majority in the National Assembly, would form a government, then the mentioned events changed the course of developments. “In any case, there was no logic in forming a three- or four-party government,” political analyst Aghasi Yenokyan told ArmeniaNow. “There was no necessity for forming such a government. According to preliminary arrangements Serzh Sargsyan had offered positions to the formal opposition, however there was no need for that, since in any case what was there would be continued.” The new composition of the government that involves both non-partisans as well as members of the RPA, Prosperous Armenia Party, and representatives of Orinats Yerkir and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) – the political parties distinguished by their markedly opposition stance during the pre-election period, will pledge to implement the program of a candidate whom, many of them, subjected to harsh criticism in an attempt to gain more votes. “The second generation reforms will immediately improve the life of the whole people. Every person should feel that possibilities for self-display are expanding and the quality of their lives is improving,” says Serzh Sargsyan’s pre-election program that targets different spheres. “Every newly created family will have an opportunity to purchase an apartment and a car.” The program which also addresses foreign policy, Karabakh settlement, education, health and other spheres says that favorable conditions will be created for providing people with jobs. “In Armenia that we aspire for, there should be an atmosphere of mutual respect, love and leniency,” the program says. Despite numerous appeals from international structures pointing out obligations for Armenia’s authorities, it will perhaps be challenging to achieve an “atmosphere of mutual respect and love” in the current tense internal political situation. “We should not part, should not create division between various parts of our people, should not disregard each other's concerns and pain, and should not go beyond each other's reach. Even if a wall of misunderstanding stands between us, I urge you to join us in destroying that wall,” Serzh Sargsyan said in his inaugural speech on April 9. However, both before and after that, the “wall” between the government and the opposition, remains solid, and dialogue between the government and the opposition still unrealistic. “Personally I have no positive expectations,” analyst Yenokyan says. “If we take it constitutionally, it will be difficult for the government to work both with the president and the National Assembly, however if we take the Armenian reality, which we have, then it is normal. What the president will say will be acceptable for the prime minister and the government and the National Assembly. That is, everything will be the way that it was. Surely elections were not rigged for reforms. Everything will again be put to service for the interests of oligarchy.”
- Marianna Grigoryan
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Today in Armenian history- 1828 Griboedov is appointed Russian ambassador in Persia.
- 1888 Death of novelist Raffi (Hakob Melik-Hakobyan) in Tbilissi (Georgia). He was born in 1835.
- 1918 The Turkish army re-occupies Ghars (Western Armenia).
- 1918 Stepan Shahoomyan creates and leads the Council of People's Commissars in Baku.
- 1959 Death of painter Hakob Kodjoyan. He was born in 1883.
- 1990 The Greek Parliament approves a law designating April 24 as Remembrance Day of the Armenian victims of the Genocide perpetrated by Turkey.
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