Wednesday, June 29, 2022
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

ARF Will Not Field a Presidential Candidate

by Contributor
December 27, 2012
in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
9
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ARF Supreme Council of Armenia members Arsen Hambartsumian, Armen Rustamian and Aghvan Vardanian at a press conference Wednesday

YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia announced Wednesday that a special Congress of the party held a day before overwhelmingly decided to not field a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia.

“In accordance with the Supreme Assembly’s July decision, the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia took the initiative of putting forward a process to form a wide accord around a unified political agenda. Efforts were made with active political forces and civic circles to create an accord around a political platform so as to develop a unified oppositional front,” said a statement issued by the ARF Supreme Council of Armenia on Wednesday.

“Both, this initiative and the political agenda that was introduced were welcomed and certain prerequisites for making the process effective did exist. The possibility existed to at least restore the people’s broken trust in elections, to generate a qualitatively new situation, to conduct truly competitive elections and to create the ground for the regime change. However, preconceived approaches conditioning the accord with this or that concrete candidate prevented the efforts – to participate in the presidential election with a united agenda– from reaching their logical conclusion,” added the statement.

Taking the current situation into consideration and based on the aforementioned assertions, the ARF Supreme Council Assembly of Armenia, decided “1. Not to nominate a candidate for the upcoming February 18, 2013 presidential election. 2. Ruled out supporting the candidate of the authorities, to authorize the Supreme Council to follow the pre-electoral processes and, if the need arises, to orient the ARF members and supporters accordingly. 3. To continue pursuing with all political means the realization of the party’s seven-point platform,” added the statement.

At a press conference Wednesday, ARF Supreme Council of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian, ARF Parliamentary Faction member Aghvan Vartanian and ARF Supreme Council of Armenia member Arsen Hambartsumian outlined the party’s decision by saying that the current reality in Armenia—the manner in which elections are run and the shadowy political relations inherent in the country—was one of the factors that prompted the party to stay out of the elections.

“The nature of elections which has unfortunately taken hold in Armenia and — like many other areas of our life such as the economy and political relations — is shadowy,” said Vartianian.

“People go to the polls but the decision [on an election outcome] was made long ago through other means and levers. We have not managed to create joint mechanisms for changing that nature,” added Vartanian.

He also cited the failure to form a united opposition front by nominating a single candidate.

“Participation in the predetermined elections would mean being part of a ready-made scenario. We have said on many occasions we do no play the game of others and are never guided by the scenario set forth by others,” said Vartanian.

The ARF leader emphasized that not nominating its own candidate did not mean that the party will withdraw from taking party in the electoral process

“On the contrary, we’ll be trying to ensure that the electoral processes develop in the proper direction,” he said.

The ARF publicized its election platform earlier this fall with a seven-point plan that included shifting Armenia’s governance to a parliamentary system and urging the immediate removal of Armenia’s signature from the Armenia-Turkey protocols.

Party leaders met with major political factions in Armenia, including President Serzh Sarkisian, but were unable to create broad-based support for the plan.

Sarkisian, who made his re-election bid official last month, rejected the two aforementioned main tenets of the plan.

On Tuesday, former president and leader of the Armenian National Congress, Levon Ter-Petrosian also announced that he would not seek the presidency, joining the leader of the Prosperous Armenian Party Gagik Tsarukian, who announced that he, too, would not run for office and pledged that his party would not endorse Sarkisian’s candidacy.

Contributor

Contributor

Next Post

Surgeons Changing Lives in Artsakh

Comments 9

  1. MK says:
    10 years ago

    A rigged election in the making just like all the previous elections.
    A disgrace.

    Reply
  2. Edward Demian says:
    10 years ago

    What exacly is going on? I haven’t heard of anyone being punished for voting for or against someone. Except for ballott stuffing, if that is possible, is anyone being intimidated for voting or campaigning in Armenia?

    Reply
  3. A-guy says:
    10 years ago

    All elections are rigged….well until the ARF wins, then they will no longer be rigged!

    Reply
    • MK says:
      10 years ago

      Any rigged elections whoever wins wherever it is can only be bad for that country and its people,sadly this is the case with Armenia,as all elections be it Presidential,Parliamentary,or local were rigged except for the first one.

      Reply
  4. Tsayt says:
    10 years ago

    Corruption, cronyism, election rigging, instilling defeatism among the population…these are the most dangerous “enemies” of the Republic of Armenia. They threaten the national security of Armenia much more than our Turkic neighbours on either side of the Armenian border. A revolution is indeed needed to restore the faith of the citizens of Armenia and save it from disaster.

    Reply
  5. Aram says:
    10 years ago

    Well then, the least undesirable (my most desirable) CHOICE should be Raffi Hovhanessian, because he is the most enlightened, modern, least disliked, pragmatic and hopefully the most honest candidate,

    Reply
  6. Stepan says:
    10 years ago

    The news on the election is not good. It seems that it is generating ambivalence among the populace based on the withdrawal of the opposition and the acceptance that the current government is all but assured of re-election.
    I have always found it both ironic and disappointing that the ARF has been only able to generate mid single digit support in the elections. The party that is synonymous with patriotism and all but preserved nationalism in the diaspora from the post genocide years through the recent independence, has not been able to translate it historic populism into governance.
    Armenia needs a strong and active opposition to mature its democratization evolution. I fear that the risk of becoming estranged from the diaspora exists. Most of the western disapora( Europe and North America) are deeply rooted in democratic values from the societies they reside in. Observing and nurturing this evolution in Armenia is at times painful to watch. Most of us , whether in the U.S. , Lebanon, Syria or France, have grown up with the romantic images of Armenia life. The struggle for us is the Armenian we have dreamed of and the Armenia we have. These elections are important because in addition to electing the leader of Armenia, it is a barometer of sorts for the diaspora. It influences individual decisions on investments, volunteerism and identity. Keep our Armenia in your prayers.

    Reply
  7. Mihran says:
    9 years ago

    Neither Russia or USA will allow ARF to come to power as its not in their interest to see a patriotic government in a position of power.

    Reply
  8. hi says:
    9 years ago

    BRAVO ………MIHRAN.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

ANCA Colorado-Sponsored Youth Complete New American Leaders Summit

8 hours ago
Key U.S. House Appropriations Panel Proposes $60 Million for Armenia; Needs Assessment for Artsakh

Key U.S. House Appropriations Panel Proposes $60 Million for Armenia; Needs Assessment for Artsakh

12 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

Accessibility

Accessibility modes

Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Online Dictionary

    Readable Experience

    Content Scaling
    Default
    Text Magnifier
    Readable Font
    Dyslexia Friendly
    Highlight Titles
    Highlight Links
    Font Sizing
    Default
    Line Height
    Default
    Letter Spacing
    Default
    Left Aligned
    Center Aligned
    Right Aligned

    Visually Pleasing Experience

    Dark Contrast
    Light Contrast
    Monochrome
    High Contrast
    High Saturation
    Low Saturation
    Adjust Text Colors
    Adjust Title Colors
    Adjust Background Colors

    Easy Orientation

    Mute Sounds
    Hide Images
    Virtual Keyboard
    Reading Guide
    Stop Animations
    Reading Mask
    Highlight Hover
    Highlight Focus
    Big Dark Cursor
    Big Light Cursor
    Navigation Keys

    Asbarez.com Accessibility Statement

    Accessibility Statement

    • asbarez.com
    • June 29, 2022

    Compliance status

    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

    Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

    If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

    Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

    Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

    1. Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Disability profiles supported in our website

    • Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

    Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

    1. Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
    2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
    3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
    4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
    5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
    6. Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
    7. Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

    Browser and assistive technology compatibility

    We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to