A call for vigorous debate

Published: Saturday December 15, 2007

Voting in Armenia on May 12, 2007.  . Photolure

The citizens of Armenia will cast their votes for the country's third president in just over two months, on February 19, 2008.

Nine men have been nominated. It is their job to persuade the voters that they can effectively lead the country in the right direction. It is the job of voters to assess the candidates' claims and to decide just what constitutes the right direction. And it is the job of the media, including this newspaper, to serve as intermediaries.

Although a majority of our readers don't have a vote in the presidential election, we know that as friends, as family, as visitors, as Armenians with a strong sense of national identity, as donors, as investors, as genuinely concerned individuals, our readers are interested in the election. We encourage readers to ask questions and to send us their questions so that we can put those questions to the candidates on their behalf.

For all the progress Armenia has made over the 16 years of its independence, it faces daunting challenges in the years ahead. The dialogue between candidates and voters - this central element of democracy - is crucial to finding solutions that will enjoy the support of the Armenian people.

The major candidates appear to have differences in their positions on Armenia's foreign policy regarding Turkey. They also differ on what compromises are acceptable toward the final resolution of the Karabakh conflict. The differences, as well as the similarities, in their positions need to be explored thoroughly - and in a more civil manner than has been the case so far.

Also of particular interest is each candidate's understanding of Armenia's relationship with the United States and NATO, and with Russia, which is the country's key ally in defense and owns much of Armenia's strategically important infrastructure.

The discourse so far on economic development has been focused on official corruption, especially at the higher levels of government. It is hard to believe - and few people do believe - that a change of president will itself bring an end to such corruption. The candidates will need to offer real solutions and make a credible case that they can implement such solutions. Moving toward a much more independent judiciary is likely to be part of any effective plan.

In the realm of economic development, the candidates will also need to address matters like energy security, investment in the knowledge economy, and social policy issues such as a living wage and the implementation of existing workers' rights.

Debating these issues is more than a formal requirement of democracy, for the outcome of the presidential election is not certain. Polls so far have shown that around a third of voters are undecided - which makes sense this early in the season.

If no candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote on February 19, voters will choose their next president in a second round of voting.

In such a potentially competitive atmosphere, it will be all the more valuable for Armenian voters - and for Armenia's future - to see the candidates draw clear, substantive, and plausible policy distinctions among themselves. Voters will thereby have a genuine political choice in the question of who will be Armenia's third president.