Apparently, the fact of Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first president of Armenia, taking part in the elections played its role as well. The line of Ter-Petrossian’s contradiction with the incumbent authorities emerged immediately and having become dominant in the electoral situation, has put the society and all the other candidates into a tough situation. The uncertainty in preferences has become the main characteristic feature of the Armenian voters. Voters having nihilistic attitude towards the candidate of the authorities felt discomfort, realizing that the real alternative to Serzh Sargsyan could be not so desired Levon Ter-Petrossian.

Obviously, all the other candidates that had initially distanced themselves from the two above-mentioned camps faced the problem of looking for a political niche that was going to ensure the voters’ interest in their personalities. It is not quite easy to hold a significant role in the created situation – the polemics scheme has forced out the other candidates from the area of the central interest of the public. Naturally, only ambitious election platforms could cause certain interest – it was not easy to think of purely political roles.

In any case, now already we can notice that counting on the platforms was, to a certain degree, the right thing to do. Bringing out the problem of state construction into the focus of election programs turned them, for the first time, into a real mechanism of attracting the interest of the voters. It looks like the key public interest in the candidates was found out. The Armenian society is most of all concerned about radical changes in the internal situation of the country, both the economic and the political. The subject matter of Karabakh and internal political issues have lost their mobilizing potential. Even the security problem has become less attractive.

It should be acknowledged that public consciousness priority changes are present in Armenia. Correspondingly, the correction of ideological platforms by the candidates became something natural. In this aspect, there is sense in referring to the key theses of election programs, paying attention to the parts related to the presentation of the subject matter of government building. It seems that not only the conceptions of government building in Armenia have come into political use but also two principally opposite philosophical views.

It is particularly interesting to explore Serzh Sargsyan’s idea on the priority of social problems over the human rights problems. That concept, stated in the period of the parliamentary elections in 2007, evoked harsh criticism on the one hand and apologetics on the other hand. Such reactions were quite reasonable, owing to the fact that the oppositional figures had, at the same time, put into use the thesis about establishing constitutional order in the country. It could be expected that those theses, with certain degree of specifications, were supposed to be reflected in the candidates’ election programs at these presidential elections.

And so it happened. Referring to Serzh Sargsyan’s program, the following key thesis could be singled out. “The main guarantee for our country development is the spiritual unity of our nation, which assumes collaboration and formation of the necessary atmosphere of trust. Nerses Shnorhali has given the best approach to constructing civil society, “Unity in the main aspect, freedom in the secondary aspect and love in everything.”

As we seem, the program author has not only decorated the idea on the secondary aspect of freedom with the help of the authority of a historic figure but has also underlined it. Taking into consideration the fact that the word law in the platform of that candidate can be noticed only twice, and all the other definitions are related to the sphere of moral categories (the next quotation, “The axis of our today’s actions is the reinforcement of state system, the establishment of such a society that is based on plurality, lack of discrimination, tolerance, justice and solidarity,) we can agree that the given approach to state system is by no means accidental.

Obviously, that candidate doesn’t have much desire to see the category of freedom in new Armenia. It is replaced by the category national unity. Therefore, it is not quite easy to understand how the phrase “reinforcing constitutionalism in the country, considering the observance of the Constitution to be priority issue” can co-exist with the statement that “Unity is the main pre-condition for the improvements of the second generation.” To be more precise, it would be easy if it were possible to combine the concepts of spiritual unity and civil agreement on the basis of the Constitution. However, nobody in the world has managed to do it yet.

We can get convinced from the following paragraph that such a philosophical approach was supposed to get reflected also in other practical theses of Serzh Sargsyan’s program. “We have a fine opportunity to form an unprecedented situation as a result of the presidential elections, which will be free from useless political conflicts and tension, ensuring harmonious and effective collaboration between legislative and executive authorities.” It should be reminded that it’s about New Armenia. Armenia where social problems should be viewed as priority as compared to freedom.

Hence, the relevance of coming into use of the thesis on the necessity of establishing constitutional system in Armenia – a system based on individual freedom – is becoming clear. Thus, it is directly stated in presidential candidate Vahan Hovhannisyan’s program, “The discrepancies between the Constitution of our state and the real life have been requiring serious and wide-ranged systematic changes.” Such a statement is not so usual for a representative of a party that has been prioritizing all-Armenian interests. And, apparently, the relevance of transferring the country into the flow of constitutional norms is very high, if that thesis has been brought out into the category of key tasks for Armenia.

It can be viewed from the following paragraphs. “The wrong perception of liberal ideology and its extreme implementation… have led to the current economic order when the state is being managed by economic groups. …. Monopolies have ceased to be just an economic phenomenon. They have a certain influence over all the areas of public vital activities, starting from the state/constitutional order to the value system and moral criteria of the public. Accordingly, it is promised that “for reinforcing our state system and implementing our national goals, there are no alternatives to the democracy establishment and forming civil society.” Respectively, the necessity of “steady implementation of constitutional norms” is being mentioned.

The traditional Armenian party Dashnaktsutyun brought out the problem of establishing constitutional system in Armenia in the center of his strategy, the strategic line of Levon Ter-Petrossian whose program is just based on that strategy, does not leave any doubts that the problem of taking out the country onto the level of really functioning constitutional states is being perceived by the political figures of Armenia as the main political issue.

At least, the following theses can be singled out in the election platform of Ter-Petrossian: “Recovery of the constitutional order, that is, formation of the authorities exclusively with the help of free elections; Destroying the current pyramid of plutocratic system; Ensuring the independence and balance of legislative, executive and judicial authorities; Establishing full-fledged democracy; Guaranteeing freedom of speech, the press and conscience; Final establishment of multi-party system and parliamentarism.”

The above-mentioned problem is reflected in full details in the platform of the leader of Country of Legality, presidential candidate Arthur Baghdasaryan. It could be noted that the problem of establishing constitutional order is the key strategy of this program. We could become convinced of it based on the following theses, “It’s not the power of law that has been functioning …. in Armenia but the law of the authorities that has been regularly violating human rights and dignity.

Therefore, it is necessary to:
- form real mechanisms of human rights protection …
Formation of legitimate authorities by maintaining democratic processes is a most serious issue. …. In this aspect, political system modernization and democratization is a priority, which stipulates:
- constant and stable development of democracy, conducting free and fair elections, ensuring clear separation of power branches while maintaining the mechanisms of collaboration between them and excluding the establishment of monopoly in any of those branches.”

One way or another, even a superficial acquaintance with the candidates’ electoral programs has been demonstrating that Armenia has come to the point when its political elite has to make a philosophical choice regarding the appearance of the slogan New Armenia that is being circulated so much. As we see, only the current authorities of the country lack the understanding of the circumstance that the social issues of the nation are evoked by the lack of constitutional order in the country. This is a serious problem for a country where there is quite a high chance for the candidate of the authorities to win.

MANVEL SARGSYAN,
political scientist