Probably it’s too early or too late for us to become democratic country and appreciate the fact that you are able to be free and have your own opinion!

As for the media, yes, not a good situation, but better than in 2003. Moreover, the same goes for the conduct of rallies.

Technically I’d say this election is a vast improvement over 2003. In terms of actual ideas, policies and political culture, it’s lamentable.

In Serzh Sargsian’s case it is truly ridiculous. He not only violates the law by being a candidate and a PM at the same time, he coerces his employees to show up in these rallies.

The Dashnaktsutyun leader hit out at the government camp as well. “The authorities have made every effort to ensure that this [presidential] struggle takes place in an apolitical atmosphere, in the dark, at the level of slogans and rallies,” he said.

Markarian claimed in particular that they have deliberately thwarted a “clash of political views, ideas and platforms” during the election campaign by restricting its coverage by the country’s main TV stations loyal to the government and forcing them not to broadcast campaign ads in prime time.

http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/02/E83CAF06-2F49-447F-98BD-5C6AF2B33BF6.ASP

If anything, I think these rallies are undemocratic. Of course, another suggestion would be to just scrap the whole election period and just count how many people in one area for a campaign as this is pretty much what everybody is doing despite the fact that I know only two people (excluding journalists) who know who they’re going to vote for and who attended a rally. Moreover, I lament the fact that in 2003 various candidates held meetings with voters in the districts of Yerevan. This time round, only one came to my area and that was Serge.

Arrogance. Complete arrogance. Voters should go to the candidate? Or is it supporters? Anyway, as soon as the pro-Ter-Petrossian press started to inflate the number for those attending his rallies, someone actually warned that this would happen. Instead of thinking democratically about the million plus voters sitting at home, the sight of 15-30,000 people either bussed in, paid to attend, or wavering in between has been used to analyze this election.

In my opinion, that’s the saddest part of elections in Armenia. There really is no comprehension of what democracy means. Of course, it’s not actually the vote that matters, though, is it? It’s whether you can get 15-30,000 people angry enough to confront the security forces the day after. Sad and it desperately needs to change. Indeed, I’d suggest amendments to the electoral code defining what “campaigning” is, prohibiting the use of pop stars to hold free concerts, and making Republic Square, Liberty Square and Matenadaran off limits.

Let them walk the streets, meet potential voters and only hold a mass rally for supporters at the end of the campaign.