PACE Head Hopes For Clean Referendum In Armenia
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Aug 18 2005
The freedom and fairness of the upcoming constitutional referendum
in Armenia is of “utmost importance” to the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE), its president, Rene van der Linden,
said on Wednesday.
In an interview with RFE/RL given ahead of his trip to Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, van der Linden stressed that the Armenian
authorities’ handling of the vote, expected to be held in November,
will be “a real test for the country’s democratic credibility.”
“They have to show that they are a full-fledged member of the Council
of Europe,” he said. “They have to show the international community
and the Council of Europe in particular that they are able to fulfill
their commitments. It’s one of the key elements in the discussions
between the PACE and Armenia, and I hope that we can have a result
which is also in line with the requirements of the Council of Europe.”
Constitutional reform was one of the conditions for Armenia’s
entry to the Strasbourg-based pan-European organization in 2001. Its
advisory body, the Venice Commission, has endorsed a revised package of
constitutional amendments drafted by President Robert Kocharian and his
governing coalition, urging Armenians to back it at the referendum. The
European Union and the United States have also called for their
passage, saying that it would facilitate Armenia’s democratization.
Van der Linden would not say if he will promote those amendments during
his visit to Yerevan which begins on Thursday and involves talks with
President Robert Kocharian, parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian
and leaders of the Armenian opposition. He said he expects a “tough
discussion” with opposition leaders.
Most of them are unlikely to endorse the proposed constitutional
changes, saying that they are not significant enough. They also
argue that an amended constitution would not automatically increase
the likelihood of free and fair elections in Armenia. The West, they
say, should therefore concentrate on ensuring a proper enforcement
of Armenia’s existing laws that provide for democratic elections and
guarantee human rights.
“It’s really important for me to hear all the arguments,” van der
Linden said. “They as well as the government have to know that we
are very keen on conditions for free and fair elections and the
fulfillment of the electoral law and the constitution.”
To pass, the draft amendments have to be backed by a majority of
referendum participants that make up at least one third of Armenia’s
2.4 million eligible voters. Some opposition leaders claim that the
authorities can not secure sufficient voter support for the reform
without massive vote rigging.