Epress.am News from Armenia
Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan today unveiled a new group he founded called Civil Contract and announced the names of its board members, which are Pashinyan; former MP, war veteran Sasun Mikaelyan; orientalist Arayik Harutyunyan; journalist Alen Simonyan; orientalist Arsen Kharatyan; Marine Manucharyan; and environmental activist, journalist Lena Nazaryan. The board may be subject to the addition new members and decisions will be made based on consensus.
The first paragraph of the contract is as follows:
"The aim of the participants of this contract is the establishment of new social, political, legal, and domestic relationships of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia based on the equality of all people before the law, the full protection and application of human rights, equality between women and men, national-state identity of the Armenian people, the preservation and development of independence and sovereignty, granting the Armenian people real levers of power in the Republic of Armenia, on the imperatives of reinstating the status of the best and most preferred place of residence and development of the Armenian people."
Pashinyan stated that the names of the Veradarts foundation's board of trustees will be announced soon. The foundation will fund the creation of Civil Contract in all regions of Armenia, as well as outside the country. According to Pashinyan, the other important step that will be taken is a conference with members who've signed on to the contract, which will take place within 3 years.
Pashinyan added that it's important that anyone joining the contract is clearly aware of his role or her role and has specific expectations from the contract, knowing also what expectations the contract has of her or him. Board member Marine Manucharyan added that members must participate in public events held in the regions in order to acquaint the public with the essence of the contract. Another board member, Lena Nazaryan, said one of the advantages of the contract for her is that the initiative is very comprehensive and rules out defeat. Arsen Kharatyan added that it's important for him that the contract intends to also foster repatriation and anyone joining them, whether they be from the diaspora or Armenia, must be committed to living in Armenia. Board members also emphasized the importance of horizontal (as opposed to top-down) relationships among members of the contract.
Asked whether he was preparing to run in the next presidential elections as a candidate of the Civil Contract, Pashinyan said the group will participate in the coming presidential elections but its proposed candidate will be decided later, through a public debate. As reported by RFE/RL's Armenian service, it is not yet clear whether the group will be a political party.
"We will achieve regime change; we will not demand [Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan's resignation but we will see to it that Serzh Sargsyan and his team will not be in power. We will get a vote of confidence from the citizens of the Republic of Armenia through free, fair, and transparent elections. I can say that this will be the most important outcome of the Civil Contract," he said.