4.8. Conclusions and Recommendations

State capacities and priorities evolving in development should be directed at democratic society and a market economy without neglecting the responsibilities that the State bears towards its citizens. To this end, it is necessary that certain steps be taken and reinforced, among which are;

* to secure and maintain the legality and legitimacy of forthcoming elections and ensure that the interests of the various groups of the population are truly represented (which would require preventing criminal elements from penetrating electoral bodies), to improve the election law with an entire or partial shift to the proportional voting principle;

* to expose economic crimes committed in the past and punish culprits; to enhance the implementation of laws and to strengthen control over the work of judicial bodies;

* to create a legislative field for spheres that so far have not been legally regulated and improve the existing legislation;

* to amend the Constitution to establish checks and balances among the three branches of power;

* To simplify the system of social assistance by introducing clear-cut indicators, and enhance the efficiency of social programs (i.e. health, education and family allowance system) sponsored from the State budget;

* To guarantee a free press with taxation privileges, improved information technologies to enhance their independence and thus augment their role in the development of society. Normative regulation should be created to make civil servants provide journalists with information;

* To continue pursuing a balanced foreign policy, aimed at deepening the already existing ties and establishing new ones;

* To use the opportunities rendered by globalization for the development of the country to be better integrated in the international economy.

* to seek the peaceful resolution of the Karabagh conflict;

* to increase the regulatory role of the State in economy. At the same time it is necessary to create anti-trust legislation, strengthen the control over the implementation process of loans. The simplification of the taxation and customs legislation and the protection of a domestic producer will greatly boost the economy;

* to increase the efficiency of state administration through reducing the state apparatus and adopting the law on Civil Service. It is necessary to secure the transparency of the decision making process and reinforce the inter-relation of state and society.