Not in a long time have the stakes been so high for Armenians both in Armenia and across key communities of the Diaspora, including the United States.
2012 will be a crucial election year and Armenians will have a chance to make their voices heard and impact policy and the future outcome of issues critical to their well-being and our national aspirations.
In Armenia, the parliamentary elections scheduled for May will become a true test for the Armenian government, which has often proclaimed a commitment to adhere to democratic norms and ensure a fair election.
For the Armenian voter, it is also a significant opportunity to turn the tide and make a lasting change that will impact all facets of life. Change comes gradually, but 20 years have elapsed since Armenia’s independence and a new generation of voters can make a difference.
The year closed with two opposition parties in parliament, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Heritage Party, jointly calling for the abolition of the single-seat constituency element for parliamentary elections and adopting a 100-percent proportional representation system. This critical proposal could empower voters to rally around their preferred party and go to the polls to express their will and not that of an oligarch’s who has thrown his weight and money at the time of the elections. It would behoove the authorities to back this proposal and, once and for all, alter the course of the elections in Armenia.
Free and fair election there can become the impetus for resolving some of the most critical issues facing our homeland, especially as it pertains to the socio-economic well being of those living in Armenia. An unobstructed election can also give hope to a society, which has all but given up and has grown increasingly apathetic toward the system in Armenia.
The 2012 elections will also provide the political parties to strongly advocate their platforms and empower voters to go to the polls, and not be afraid of intimidation tactics thus far used during elections in Armenia.
In the US, Armenian-Americans are still reeling from the disappointing blow President Obama dealt the community by not honoring his campaign pledges from four years ago. Most Armenian-American voters feel duped by an administration, whose key players say one thing and do the completely opposite when it comes to fulfilling their promises.
As the election campaign heats up in the US, the Armenian-American constituency has a critical role to play with its vote. With the Republican primaries playing out like a bad reality show and the Democratic ticket having disappointed the community, the upcoming presidential race in the US will become a critical turning point for the Armenian-American vote. Add to that races in reapportioned Congressional districts in key states such as California and New York and you have scenario whereby each person running for office will be counting on every single vote.
While the events of the last four years have left many a voter disappointed it is the responsibility of every Armenian-American voter to exercise that right and make his/her voice heard. The sentiment to withhold one’s vote as an expression of protest will only hurt the community’s collective ability to impact and ultimately change policy in this country.
We are closing the year with an important victory with the House passage of H. Res. 306, which calls on Turkey to return stolen churches and other properties to their rightful owners. This crucial win would not have been possible without the dedicated constituents who vocalized their points of view through communications with their elected officials. We must ensure that the power of the Armenian vote grows and becomes even louder as we enter the 2012 election cycle.
Our compatriots in France and Russia will also be heading to the polls for crucial presidential elections in both countries.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party was front and center during last week’s passage of a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the French-Armenian voters played a key role in advocating a principled stance on the matter in France.
In Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s stated desire to re-occupy the presidency leaves the almost one million Armenian constituents there in a position to impact the outcome of that vote.
The challenges facing Armenians here and in the homeland are not insurmountable. They require each Armenian’s will, determination and dedication to achieve our aspirations and expand the scope of our voice wherever we live.
Happy New Year.
It will be enlightening if only you can tell us which year has not been “crucial year for all Armenians” since Armenia’s independence. Do we need to have elections here and abroad to feel the heat of crucial situation in Armenia? Unfortunately the article sound more like a mouth piece of a politician/bureaucrat, it lacks the spirit of ARF.
On another note, since we are on the edge of year 2011, it would be fair to highlight some of the achievements of the current Armenian authorities in the fields of regional and foreign policies.
Happy New Year.
do not vote for Obama even if he is running against the devil. That is the only way the politicians will RESPECT the Armenian vote.
if you are glad of the gains we’ve made as armenians, if youve strayed from your culture and feel bad about it, this new years donate some money to the ANCA. they work tirelessly for every armenian
Excellent article. If only our lobby could be empowered in Germany, then Turkey will begin to listen.
Shnorhavor Nor Tari!
– David Oganesyan
HAPPY 2012! ARMENIA’S RESOLUTIONS SHOULD BE…
RETURN TO GOD AS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN NATION
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
STOP CORRUPTION
INVEST IN SCIENCE, I.T. AND EDUCATION
INVEST IN THE MILITARY
PURSUE GENOCIDE RECOGNITION AND RECOVERY CAMPAIGN
LET’S SEE WHAT THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING!
@ bigmoustache
I was wondering if you were directing your kind words to my comment.
Dear Mazod,
I would have agreed with you more only if you changed the order of your priorities. For example:
1) Invest in military buildup.
2) Pursue Genocide recognition and reparation.
3) Free and fair elections
4) Stop corruption and invest in education and technological advancements.
5) Better relations with Diaspora.
We should also include the duties of Diaspora organizations in terms of actively promoting Tebi Yergir.
Right Daron.
Military buildup must be #1.
Above education, above social, above most everything else.
Too many times in our history low brow savages have destroyed what was created by peaceful, unarmed Armenian intellectuals and builders, and confiscated the national wealth so painstakingly accumulated over millenia by our ancestors.
I am all for starving of funds for most everything else in RoA State Budget – aside from welfare of children and mothers, of course – and having a first class Armenian Defense Force, with a massive capacity to retaliate with overwhelming, devastating force in case of another attempt to exterminate our people. Armed forces of RoA and Artsakh must be 2nd to none in the Caucasus: there is no other way.
Avery,
You are absolutely right. We should be focusing on strengthening the military/defense capabilities of Republic of Armenia while mutually investing in the new generation.