My name is Arsineh and I am not the President of Armenia, but I do have an idea. I have been joking lately about the idea of running for president of Armenia and the joke itself has sparked a lot of interesting dialog among my peers about the issues facing Armenia and its Diaspora. It seems everyone has an opinion about everything, but perhaps some of them would interest the real candidates. The one thing I don't see in Armenia is the public debating on these issues and the ideological fight to win over the hearts of the citizens, as I'm used to in the US. That said, I'd like to see what would happen if we open up the debate to the backseat-drivers of the world. You might think your right, but what do others think?So, in the spirit of election season in Armenia (even though this year is just parliament), I would like to try running an actual mock election. I am inviting all Armenians worldwide to run an mock campaign for the presidency of Armenia here on this blog. In order to participate, follow the instructions below:
Become a Cadidate
To become a candidate for the Mock Armenian Elections, you must submit an email to wannabeapresident@gmail.com. Once you are selected, you need to great a blogger account to begin posting your platforms and campaign statements. You will need to start with your core arguements and must allow comments to your post.
Nominations will close as of April 28, 2007
Qualifications
In order to pass as a candidate, you must simply have ideas relevant to Armenia in it's current state. I will leave nominations open to people of all kinds of ideological backgrounds, but I will practice my right to reject anyone with extreme ideas of a malicious nature. Otherwise, anything from the far right to the far left and up and down are welcome to run for president. You do not have to run under your actual name, you do not have to actually be Armenian. I will let the people decide in the end what's right for them.
Present Your Platform
Once nominations are close, I will request that all candidates post their platform for the people to read. The people are encouraged to ask questions, respond, spark debate, and even lobby the candidates on issues of concern to them. Thereafter, candidates are welcome to release added statements, invite other candidates to debate certain issues, and engage in open dialog with eachother and the people.
Question the Candidates
Questions may come from anyone across the globe, but I will be strict with people who do not identify themselves. Again, if comments become malicious on a personal level, I will reject them. If comments are extreme, but remain true to the intent of this concept, I will allow it. However, I urge commenters to reveal their identity in such cases.
Election Day: How to Vote
Election Day will take place on May 28. I will post a blog requesting all ballots, which will be in the form of a comment. In order to cast a vote, you must state the following:
• Full Name
• City, country of origin
• Name of Cadidate you are voting to be president
• Your email address (to confirm you are note voting multiple times)
Moderation
I (Arsineh) will be monitoring this process. If you have concerns in regards to my monitoring methods, email them to wannabeapresident@gmail.com and I will openly consider your concerns. However, I reserve the right to monitor as I see fit and will not allow personal attacks on individuals or myself, or fabrication of historical truth.
