All parties equally responsible for reforms in Armenia – European official
Mediamax news agency
19 Aug 05
Yerevan, 19 August: The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe, Ren van der Linden, said in Yerevan today that
the approval of constitutional amendments will be an “acid test”
for Armenia and that both the authorities and the opposition are
equally responsible for its successful outcome.
Linden said this at a meeting with Artur Bagdasaryan, chairman of
the Armenian National Assembly. The Armenian speaker highlighted the
importance of the PACE president’s visit to Yerevan at this moment
when the parliament is preparing to consider the draft constitutional
amendments in their second reading.
The PACE president said it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive
campaign in order to conduct the constitutional referendum successfully
and enlist the support of the people.
Linden also said that the Council of Europe is interested in
cooperation between Armenian political parties on issues of vital
importance, in the presence of independent media, in clarifying
electoral registers and in bringing to book those involved in
violations in previous elections.