TODAY AGENDA OF ARMENIA-CE RELATIONS INCLUDES FIRST OF ALL ISSUES OF REFORMING OF LEGISLATION, VARTAN OSKANIAN SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 09 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 9, NOYAN TAPAN. “At the meetings with the Armenian
leadership we came to the conclusion about the necessity to prepare a
text of amendments to the current Electoral Code, ” Ambassador Roland
Wegener, Head of the Ago Group of the Council of Europe Committee of
Ministers, declared on June 10 at the joint press conference with RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. He mentioned that the Council of
Europe is ready to assist Armenia in this issue.
According to the Ambassador, the amendments to the Electoral Code will
become a basis for holding free and fair elections. At the same time,
as R.Wegener estimated, providing pluralism in the country and first of
all in mass media, active participation of different parties, including
opposition ones, in the issue of the forthcoming legislative amendments
play a considerable role in holding democratic elections. “Holding
of free and fair elections supposes not only the responsibility of
the authorities, but also the responsibility of the National Assembly
and the political parties,” Roland Wegener declared. The Head of the
Ago Group emphasized that after the adoption of the amendments to the
Armenian Constitution it is necessary that the Armenian legislation
be brought in correspondence with the amendments. In this issue
Armenia has assumed a commitment towards CE to adopt a number of
new laws during the coming two years and to make amendments to such
laws as the law “On Alternative Service,” “On Radio and Television,”
“Civil Code,” preparation of bills “On Yerevan,” “On RA Ombudsperson,”
etc. Preparation for the forthcoming parliamentary elections to be held
in 2007 is also included in this process. Vartan Oskanian emphasized
that the agenda of relations between Armenia and the Council of
Europe is very large and includes first of all issues of reforming
the legislation. According to him, Armenia has already fulfilled the
most part of its commitments assumed towards CE, but there is still
much to do.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
