As part of the CRD-TI Armenia Election Monitor 2007 blogging project, both myself and Zarchka from Life Around Me hoped to find, nurture and assist young potential bloggers in Armenia. Indeed, one such find was “Stubborn,” a student who we met last week. After speaking to him about a potential post, he’s now made a guest entry on the CRD-TI Armenia Election Monitor 2007 site. After the project officially ends next week, we hope to help him establish his own blog.

[…]

It’s not a secret that the election campaign has started long before it officially should, and some of the parties are busy distributing financial aid, spectacles, and other items as well as promising to solve all the problems faced by the electorate even though they lack the necessary resources to do so.

For example, Prosperous Armenia Party has organized free transportation for students from the regions to attend classes at their colleges and universities in Yerevan.

Well, elections don’t happen every day and it’s not surprising that students take any given opportunity to save several hundred drams every day. Obviously, rather than this happen only at times just before elections, it would be desirable if this took place permanently or if the financial situation of families were improved.

[….]

The reason for this is apathy, indifference, and not seeing anything past their own noses. And there’s no need to look for who’s guilty, as everyone who doesn’t demand that the promises given at elections are kept is. “Uh… they lied,” they say and keep silent. That’s what the parties understand, and that’s why they flood their pre-election programs with promises they can’t keep.

[…]

Some of the students worried that their identification documents which had been collected in order to receive a pass for the buses would now result in their names appearing in the party’s membership list. A member of the party could not confirm or deny this possibility when asked and instead appeared shocked by the sudden interest from the students, thus giving them reason to be concerned.

However, other students didn’t seem to care at all. It was a free service, so forget about principles!

The full post is here.