1 / 11

At March 2 sitting, the parliament debates the issue of the election of the President of the Republic. During the Q & A session the candidate for the President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan touched upon the issues concerning the deputies and presented clarifications.

In the issue of repatriation of prisoners of war and other persons being held in Azerbaijan, regarding the question on the role of the President of the Republic, Vahagn Khachaturyan has noted that the institute of the President of the Republic is a representation body, and is obliged to use the opportunities in this issue. In this context the candidate especially highlighted the joint work and the coordinated actions of the state institutes.

In response to the question whether Vahagn Khachaturyan is the President of the RA all citizens, the candidate has assured that by the Constitution the President of the Republic is obliged to be the President of the RA all citizens and has added: “Maybe you have chosen my candidacy, taking into consideration that circumstance,”

Vahagn Khachaturyan expressed hope that the President of the Republic should work in harmony with different wings of the state power, also the non-power forces, the political parties, the NGOs, the organizations representing Diaspora.

“I believe that within the framework of the Constitution the powers of the President of the Republic are sufficient for him to fully be as a head of power,” the candidate documented.

The security and the economic developments of the country were touched upon.

“The issue of security is of priority for our country. We’ll have economic, social achievements, when our security systems are protected,” the candidate for the President of the Republic said, highlighting the fact of having secure region.

It has been noted the reducing corruption, the increase of competition and the enlargement of the alternatives serve as a best stimulus for the development of the economy. According to him, there is no alternative for the high technological economy. Speaking about the alternative ways of the development of the economy, the speaker underlined the expansion of the regional cooperation and the opening of the roads.

In response to the question relating to the opportunities of bringing the opposition to the constructive field, Vahagn Khachaturyan has opined that certain layer of the society has voted for the opposition, and the latter realizes that responsibility. According to the rapporteur, the opposition needs cooperation in fulfilling that responsibility. He has noted that there are universal problems needing solution.

The candidate has also detailed his viewpoint in the advancement of the peace agenda, noting that he does not see the development of Armenia in other way. “We shall understand that this region shall become a platform for cooperation,” he said and highlighted the establishment of the good neighbourly relations with the neighbouring countries.

In his final speech Vahagn Khachaturyan thanked the deputies for the voiced positive opinions relating to his candidacy and highly evaluating his activity.

“If we want to look at the future, then we shall be able to assess that the important value of our successes is whether we are capable to hold the next elections as they were hold in June 2021. It means if we assess the democratic values or the group ones. The role of the President of the Republic shall be that he will create such an atmosphere, to be in a role of reconciliatory person in those conditions and advance the political forces to a field, where there will be no extremity,” he said particularly regarding the public-political life in Armenia.

Thanking the MPs for the shown trust, Vahagn Khachaturyan noted that without joint work, without resolving the problems with each other, there could not be any success.