The Government of the Republic of Armenia

Sunday, 17 February 2008

Dear compatriots, dear friends,

It was nine months ago when, right on this square, we concluded our electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections. I was standing here before you nine months ago, speaking about the Armenia of my dreams. Nine months ago we were brought together by the motto: "For you, Armenia!" Today we are saying: "Ahead, Armenia!"

Nine months ago I spoke here about the Armenia of my dreams. Armenia of my dreams, where the issue of jobs would be resolved, where every citizen would be able to secure himself and his family a dignified livelihood through the fruits of his labour.

Nine months ago I promised hard effective work, I promised to build an Armenia where our offspring would receive quality education. I promised that our retirees would receive much higher pensions, I promised that our army would be stronger, and that health services in our country would become more accessible.

Nine months ago I said that I owned up to my dreams and called upon you to take possession of your dreams. Nine months ago I asked for your votes and I am standing here before you now proudly and with a clean breast. A clean breast, because in these nine months we have succeeded to make great strides towards the implementation of our promises, because in the course of these nine months we have succeeded in laying the foundations that would allow us to deliver on our promises for the forthcoming five years much faster. We succeeded through these nine months to change many things. But, what is even more important, we have succeeded to change expectations in this country.

I can see pessimism shrinking, I can see optimism taking over.

I would not have succeeded in my work, had you not supported the program we had proposed, had you not taken those most important steps towards democracy. It is through your trust that we succeeded to drastically increase the national budget, succeeded to raise pensions for our senior citizens and raise the wages. It is through your support that we are succeeding in implementing large-scale programs in the marzes; it is through your support that with every day more and more citizens of the Republic of Armenia straighten up their backs, and their standard of life is improving; it is through your support that the households of many of our compatriots retire to sleep every day more peacefully and safely.

Dear compatriots, these are but the first steps in a long road that we have charted, the first steps that instill hope, steady steps, steps of mutual trust and faith. I am very glad that we have accomplished these results in a handful of months. Just imagine how rapidly are we going to progress in continual development within the next five years. For that to happen, we need one thing: no-one should be able to cut short the momentum of development; it is necessary that you once again put your trust in us, support with your vote the establishment of this Armenia, the development of this Armenia, the future of this Armenia.

Today I am asking for your vote for victory, since we have succeeded to become a victorious nation. We are at home now with victories; we have gotten here by overcoming difficulties, losing our footing and rising again. We have learned to win, but no victory is ever won without a basis, falling like manna from heaven.

One has to struggle for victory. And I am proud that our nation is capable of struggle. To struggle for our achievements, struggle for our country, struggle at the frontline of our development and progress. The formula for the success of this struggle boils down to the motto "Ahead, Armenia!"

Dear friends, during my campaign in Armenia's marzes I was often approached by people who were concerned about increasing expressions of aggression, who pressed for solutions to contain it.

Here is what I told them on such occasions: "My dears,
- Think about the silent majority;
- Think about the hundreds of thousands, who hate with all their guts the bullying-bulldozing attitude;
- Think about those who appreciate what they have and are looking ahead;
- Think about the hundreds of thousands of citizens who will calmly, without swaggering, without scheming, go to the polling stations and say "yes" to "Ahead, Armenia!"

Do you imagine what a power that is? Imagine that quiet flow, imagine its depth, its width. It has been like this always and everywhere: the mother waterway caringly embraces noisy creeks; it is mother rivers that turn turbines in power stations, that are called for creation and development, for getting ahead!

Dear friends, I know that you were vexed on many occasions through these days, have often become the target of blind arrogance. I know it very well. But I would like to once again plead with you: remember the silent majority, remember that he have great work to do, remember that our mission is to protect and create! And, finally, remember that all this is going to be over in just a few days.

Remember all this and repeat one more time for the world to hear:
- we do not insult;
- we do not revert to foul language;
- we do not divide the nation into "our people" and "theirs;"
- we do not draw watersheds, we do not spread hatred, do not claim to be superior to anyone.

What we know well is that the time has come to defend what was created, to value what has been accomplished.

The time has come to rise above the strife that erodes the potential of the nation. We have gone a long way to get to the present; we have suffered deprivation and survived tribulations to have this present day. The time has come to build our tomorrow based on what we have today.

The time has come to reject regress and choose an upward road. The time has come for "Ahead, Armenia!"

Dear compatriots, today engaging in politics is no heroic feat at all, neither is giving promises. I know what heroism means, I have witnessed many heroic episodes myself. True heroism was when our combat friends overpowered the better armed enemy that outnumbered them; heroism is when schoolteachers in the villages along our borders are educating the nation's new generation; heroism was when many of our compatriots withstood all deprivation to the end and kept the homeland, they endured unmurmuring, without revolting against injustice and the incompetence of rulers.

Those heroes are at our side today, heroism today is in work, sober, persistent work. Persistent work for the strengthening of our state, work which everyone does where he belongs, work that does not ask for rewards or recognition.

There was a time when I had to make war in order for our generations to be able to pursue culture and science, I have now to make politics in order for our generations to enjoy a better future in prosperous and strong Armenia. I shall deal with issues of our country's development, I shall work tirelessly because I do not want our generations to inherit today's problems. Because, like any Armenian parent, I want all our children to enjoy a more carefree future, to live in a truly powerful and prosperous country. I want us to hand over another Armenia to our generations, a developed, democratic and peaceful Armenia.

I thank providence, through which I have served my country, Armenia, all my life, asking for nothing in return. I served with pride, because serving one's fatherland is the greatest honor for me, an honor and a virtue. I do not ask for anything from my country, because I know that the final appraisal of my work is up to history. History will separate the wheat from the chaff, history shall prove whether the road we have chosen was right. I am asking for your support today. I am asking for your vote of confidence.

I am asking for a vote of kindness.
I am asking for a vote of optimism.
I am asking to vote for a better Armenia, progressive Armenia, developed Armenia. I am asking for your vote and your confidence so that our country, Armenia that is our home, to also become our fortress, for our citizens to feel strong and protected in their country.

I have come here today to talk openly and without pretence. I have come to talk about a better Armenia. I am not here to promise you heaven on earth, although I would really want our country to turn into the Garden of Eden overnight. But I have not come to mislead you, I came to build an Armenia that would become the true focal point to which all Armenians gravitate. The focal point of our unity. I shall be building an Armenia to which people will return to live and create, we shall succeed in making our people understand that it is impossible to take one's homeland along on the soles of one's feet, that a more prosperous life may be created only in Armenia. A proud and protected Armenia.

Friends, our society has waited long for an expression of remorse, a plea of forgiveness for all the mistakes of the past. This plea did not come. It did not, because only the strong can ask for forgiveness. Today, before thousands of you assembled here, I am asking our people for forgiveness. Forgiveness for all the mistakes of the authorities through these 17 years, for all the miserable and trouble-ridden days you have lived through, for the heartless attitudes of officials at all levels, for everything' I beg for your forgiveness for these and I say that we shall fix all of it with a strong spirit and a steady hand. I know that issues may be resolved only by the one who admits their existence. I know that we shall resolve them. And I am saying:
- bullying does not belong in our country;
- the character of a self-conceited official does not belong in our country;
- enrichment through tax evasion does not belong;
- dividing our nation into "our people" and "theirs" does not belong.

The elections were a test of sorts for the society: willingly or not campaigning always builds up certain tension in the society, and emotions flare. Our positive as well as negative traits become more prominent in the period leading to elections. And that is only natural. That was the case during the war, and far more saliently at that. I have been through it, I have seen it with my own eyes, it is not stories that I have been told, and I was right in he midst of it. On a much smaller scale, but it is like that now and, believe me, there is truly more of the positive in us. Thanks goodness for that.

I am certain that we shall win. And I appeal to all the citizens of the Republic of Armenia who are yet undecided. I call them to join us, making our victory ever more valuable, and thus ruling out the aggressive outbursts of the minority.

Dear compatriots, I am one of you, who knows well all your troubles, is aware of all your problems.

I am one of you, who is certain that he can contribute to solutions of those problems, who knows what weapons are and what a pen is, who knows what is freedom and what is discipline.

I am one of you who hates intolerance and relies on hard work.

I am one of you who believes in victorious Armenia and bows before the grandeur of Ararat.

And I shall never allow for regress in your lives.
I shall act to the benefit of strong Armenia.
I shall act for our values.
I shall act for schools and hospitals.
I shall act for the elderly and the children, for workers and the disabled.
I shall always act for you.

Dear compatriots, the countdown to presidential elections is almost over. Today I feel stronger and more confident than ever. Stronger in what I have done, stronger in your support. I am strong because today I see a better tomorrow for our homeland, the Republic of Armenia. I am strong, because you inspire me with hope, faith and optimism.

Within the past month our campaign trailed through all Armenian marzes, we visited hundreds of settlements, we saw that the country is slowly but surely getting on its feet, that our country is developing, that our society is changing, that we have pulled down the needless barriers between the people and the government, we saw the people for whom we struggle, the people we want to assure a better future for. We have listened to everyone who wanted to speak out, we sowed the seeds of optimism and kindness. We are expecting a good and healthy harvest.

I want to make a promise on the eve of presidential elections. I shall become everybody's president, the president of my voters as well as of our compatriots who vote for other candidates; I shall do everything for the elections to be conducted in conformity with all democratic standards and rules.

In my perception democracy constitutes the rule of the majority, a majority that shall not infringe on the rights of the minority. I can see this majority here today, and I declare that we shall not succumb to provocations and shall defend our victory, we shall take possession of the majority's free choice, the majority's will, and the majority's triumph!

The triumph of kindness!
The triumph of unity!
The triumph of tomorrow's Armenia!

Sisters and brothers, look around! Years will go by and you will be able to claim: I was standing right there, I took part in creating what we have now. We start building tomorrow's Armenia right now, right here. And we shall do it together.

The victor is not the one who can yell the loudest from the podium, the victor is not the one declaring himself the winner, the victor is not the one who leads his people towards pointless violence and the nation towards shocks. There will be no such winners in these elections; progress, and progress only, shall be the winner in these elections.

We shall not allow for some individuals to try and discredit the elections, we shall not allow for certain people's aspirations and meanness to become decisive and get the better of us.

The Holy Scripture says: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?"

Friends, we shall win. This victory shall belong to everyone, every citizen of the Republic of Armenia. A victory for every family, a victory for our compatriots scattered all over the world.

It is common knowledge that we have many unresolved issues: poverty, unemployment, and bribery, among others. We are well aware of how complicated these issues are and we know the ways to resolve them. Today we are the only force on the political scene of the Republic of Armenia capable of resolving the accumulated issues, short of serious economic and political shocks. We possess sufficient political will for it, the necessary capacity and a vast and reliable army of sympathizers, attested to by today's rally of ours. We do not overestimate our power, which is what the participants of yesterday's rally here did. When ten thousand come in, they claim eighty thousand, when twenty thousand come in, they claim three hundred thousand. How many are we now, then? One million, two? You represent the majority. We have invited you here for them to understand yet one more time that they are the minority, that they have nothing to do in power, that they cannot rock this country.

We are going to build, build unity, build a better Armenia, build new Armenia, Armenia of our dreams.

I believe in the wisdom of our people.
I believe in Armenia's bright future.

Ahead towards the homeland of our dreams!
Ahead towards proud Armenia!
Ahead Yerevan!
Ahead Shirak!
Ahead Lori!
Ahead Vayots Dzor!
Ahead Tavoush!
Ahead Gegharkounik!
Ahead Aragatsotn!
Ahead Ararat!
Ahead Armavir!
Ahead Kotayk!
Ahead Syunik!
Ahead!

AHEAD ARMENIA!