Sardar Discusses Challenges to Fair Elections and Democracy Building in Armenia

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Eager to hear a first-hand account of the May 6 parliamentary elections in Armenia, over 100 Armenian Americans gathered at St. Leon Armenian Church in Fairlawn, N.J., for part three of the Truth or Consequences Series, “Challenges to Fair Elections and Democracy Building in Armenia.”

Little did they know they were in for a two-hour mini course in election politics, Armenia-style, courtesy of guest speaker Alex Sardar, the chief of party of Counterpart International in Armenia.

This USAID-funded organization, with its in-country staff of more than 35 people and $15 million budget over 4 years, has gone a long way in helping local groups pursue democracy-building missions and civil society strengthening activities in the homeland. Sardar has been on the frontlines of these efforts for nearly a decade. Born in Iran and raised in both Germany and the United States, his global perspective serves him well in relating to both Armenian Americans and native-born Armenians.

In a departure from the panel format of the first two forums, Sardar singlehandedly engaged the audience for two hours straight. This turned out to be a highly interactive and productive exchange. Audience members enthusiastically participated in a candid conversation about Armenia’s brand of politics—from the nuts and bolts of its election laws, to its abuses of power, voter list irregularities, bribery and coercion, and, most important, what role the diaspora can play in helping to advance democracy from afar. All told, the dialogue revealed that when it comes to Armenia’s political landscape, nuance and intrigue still rule the day. But the hope of tomorrow is in a politically energized youth.

“This was a rare opportunity for the audience to dig deep into the subject of democracy building in Armenia,” said the evening’s host, Dr. Kim Hekimian. She had her own war story to share from as far back as 1996, when serving as an election observer in Armenia under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE).

During her introductory remarks, Hekimian described the various voting irregularities that took place during Levon Ter Petrossian’s bid for a second term. She mentioned some of the nuanced ways that fraud could occur. She also recounted how she happened to find herself near a riot that broke out after the election results were announced. Some protesters crying foul play had stormed the parliament building; suddenly the sound of military water canons and guns fired in the air. Hekimian expressed how surreal it felt to be “running away from my own people.”

She described the experience as a “defining moment” in her 20-year relationship with the Armenian homeland. She expressed how this “formative” episode nevertheless inspired her to remain committed to staying involved. As an adjunct professor in public health at the American University in Armenia, as well as her involvement with nutrition programs that have successfully decreased Armenia’s infant mortality rates, Hekimian visits Armenia frequently enough to keep a pulse on its progress.

Over the years, she’s become well acquainted with the work of Counterpart International and was instrumental in bringing her good friend Alex Sardar to New Jersey to share his vast knowledge in democracy building and economic development with an eager, multi-generational audience.

Hekimian concluded her remarks by thanking the co-sponsors responsible for making the evening possible: the Armenian Bar Association; Armenian Engineer and Scientist Association (AESA) of NY/NJ; Armenian Human Rights Advocates; Armenian National Committee of NJ (ANC); Armenian Society of Columbia University; Knights of Vartan; National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR); New York Armenian Students Association; and Tufenkian Foundation.

An election day that began with hope and excitement

As Sardar vividly described it, May 6 was a very different election day than previous ones in Armenia. For the first time, the citizenry was “palpably excited” about getting up to vote. “You could feel the energy on the street,” he added.

He attributed this change in attitude to the weeks leading up to the election, during which many non-profit groups, including his own, launched proactive get-out-the-vote campaigns throughout the districts. The political parties also supported voter-turnout efforts via the media and local networks.

Sardar further explained how the outside election observer system factored into the spirited mood of the day. Representatives from the UN, OSCE, the non-European CIS nations, and 20,000 domestic observers were dispersed throughout the 2,000 polling stations all across Armenia.

In view of the last presidential election of 2008, which resulted in bloodshed and a backlash in international circles, it behooved the Armenian government to cooperate. Everyone was well aware that Armenia had to answer to its obligations and meet the targets set by the international community. Otherwise, it would slip even further into isolation, which, given its national security issues, would be most unwise.

On another positive note, Sardar pointed out that, in this fifth national election cycle since independence, more females ran for office than ever before. Twelve ran as single-mandate candidates (which make up the 41 seats in parliament versus the 90 party-listed seats). Two single-mandate women were elected and 12 more from the party-lists.

Finally, there was a “healthy” tension between the major contenders—the Republican Party, Rule of Law Party, and Prosperous Party. This gave the people a sense that they had a choice instead of the usual one-party elections of the soviet period.

The will of the powerful vs. the will of the people 

Despite the upbeat mood when the voting stations opened across Armenia, Sardar reported that a number of serious challenges soon emerged. Many were repetitions of past elections, while some were new tactics that took the process some big steps backward. Most egregious among them was the blatant bribery used to lock-up votes.

Since most of the candidates running for office are monopolists and oligarchs, they also have the resources by which to secure votes for themselves or their parties. This occurs in the form of hard cash bribes or special favors, from doling out jobs to fixing a broken elevator.

Sardar described how the “national discourse” on the subject of bribery was “very sad,” as it spoke to a level of cynicism that existed alongside the enthusiasm. He recalled overhearing voters discussing which of the candidates or parties had the best offer in winning their vote.

To make matters worse, the sense of being watched—a holdover from the Soviet era—led voters to believe that their individual vote was being monitored and that there would be repercussions for failing to vote as promised. Bribery as an acceptable topic of national conversation reflects a shameless opportunism that permeates the electorate—especially among the financially vulnerable in districts outside of Yerevan.

Sardar also explained why so many candidates are from the business class. Simply put, as a member of parliament, one is automatically granted legal immunity. With so much at stake for these oligarchs, legal immunity gives corruption a free pass. This information came as very upsetting news to the St. Leon audience; Sardar went on to say that a process is now in place whereby an offending parliamentarian can, in a matter of days, be stripped of such immunity and stand trial.

He also described the more nuanced ways in which the ruling party maintains “a leg up on the competition.” Notable examples include greater media visibility (President Sarkisian’s son-in-law is widely known to own a major TV station), and cooperation from municipal leaders to post only the ruling party’s campaign materials in public venues. It also extends to publicly run institutions. Public employees are allowed to engage in partisan activities while on the clock. Their managers are led to understand that their own jobs are on the line if they do not get their rank and file behind the ruling party—not only on election day but also throughout the year, getting workers to attend political rallies in its support.

Voter registration lists raise questions

Various covert abuses continued at the ballot box. This year, noted Sardar, there were between 70,000 and 300,000 inaccuracies estimated in the voter rolls. Names of the deceased and names of those long emigrated were used to add ballots. And with passports as the only form of voter ID, counterfeiting is a business in itself. When in the interests of the neighborhood electoral commission leaders, these false documents can easily pass inspection.

Cleaning up voter registration and voter lists is a major challenge in Armenia, one that Counterpart International has supported in addressing. It has recruited volunteers to do the painstaking work of going door to door in towns and villages throughout Armenia to check the names of residents against passport-generated lists—tantamount to taking a census. Nonetheless, throughout his detailed account of roadblocks to fair elections, Sardar maintained that voter registration lists are compromised by many bureaucratic and political factors.

Election progress report: too little and too slow

The issues of national security and national survival figure largely in any candid discussion about Armenia. One truth always emerges as self-evident: the alarming rate of depopulation and whether Armenia has the luxury of time to reverse it. Such a truth also demands weighing the consequences of allowing election abuses, human rights abuses, lack of rule of law, and entrenched corruption to work themselves out over time, as some still suggest is possible.

Sardar is one who believes that time is a luxury that Armenia cannot afford. Despite some progress, the pace of democracy building is too slow and incremental to withstand the pressures that depopulation brings to bear on Armenia’s survival.

Three game changers that can accelerate reform

In concluding his talk, Sardar maintained that the silver lining was in Armenia’s activist youth. This phenomenon, along with the opportunities of an interconnected digital world, could step up the change so urgently needed. He also stressed that positive change is more feasible if the diaspora is there to partner with the locals, one issue and one project at a time. Sardar noted that, by supporting small youth-led groups in Armenia, even small investments of a few hundred dollars could yield large dividends.

He cited the recent Mashdots Park crisis as a case in point. A few enterprising individuals in LA organized a public event, charging a nominal $5 admission, in support of young activists protesting the closing of the park in Yerevan to make way for a merchant mall. During the event, Armenian Americans were able to dialogue in real time with activist leaders via Skype. By evening’s end, $700 was raised to purchase provisions that would sustain the protestors during their 24/7 occupation over four months. This included bullhorns, tents, hardhats, and other outdoor survival gear. Finally President Sarkisian conceded to the activists and ordered the barricades removed and the park reopened.

Sardar went on to say that an infrastructure must be put in place to connect the local community organizations in Armenia with diasporans. In June, Counterpart International will issue its database of projects that it will support, thanks to American taxpayer dollars. Yet, he noted, there are many worthy projects beyond the scope of the USAID mission that could benefit from outside funding. The diaspora would be ideally suited to fill this vacuum.

“But it’s not only about money,” Alex cautioned. “The diaspora needs to get involved personally.” He added that we must work with our counterparts in Armenia as their partners, not as their superiors. He explained that Armenia’s young people have more confidence and know-how than did previous generations. A new attitude of mutual respect and shared accountability is the only way it can work this time around.

When asked if he believes diasporans should have the right to vote in Armenia’s elections, Sardar replied, “I know I am not in the same shoes as the typical Armenian resident. So no, I don’t believe I should have the right to vote.” At the same time, he confessed that, at first, he was reluctant to address a diasporan audience because, after so many years living in Armenia, he felt a distance. “But you’ve made it so easy, because you are asking questions that the diaspora was not asking before,” he happily reported.

In his parting words, Sardar said, “Dialogues like this will not only go to helping people live better but also how to govern.” Then he urged the audience to “make sure that our national ideals are the basis of everything. And keep sharing your ideas for projects.”

Roundtable follow-up with co-sponsors

To help get those ideas for projects percolating, Sardar agreed to meet the next morning with representatives from the co-sponsors of the series. He was joined by representatives from the Armenian Engineers and Scientists Association of NY/NJ, Armenian Human Rights Advocates, Armenian National Committee of NJ, Knights of Vartan, as well as individuals active in the community. Together, they identified areas in which co-sponsors’ missions and community-based local projects presented opportunities for partnership. The participants agreed to continue collaborating to identify projects modest enough in size, cost, and scope to see results sooner than later.

With the success of part three of the Truth or Consequences Series, the next topic for discussion is now in the planning. It will be announced shortly.