FREEDOM HOUSE CALLS ON MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION TO DISCONTINUE
ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Freedom House organization called
on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to discontinue its
assistance to several countries, inluding Armenia, for the reason that
protection of political rights and civil freedoms are not ensured in
these countries, Radio Liberty reported. The MCC Board of Directors
on November 8 will select the governments eligible for applying for
assistance in 2007. Freedom House urges the MCC not to select "the
countries having low scores of political rights and civil freedoms,
although by these indices they meet the standards for participation in
this year’s selection process. These countries are Armenia, Bhutan,
Egypt, Jordan, Maldives, Tunisia and Vietnam," the November 3 press
release of Freedom House reads. Frredom House appeals to the MCC to
keep attention on countries like Armenia, which signed the agreements
but do not secure the standards promised in the field of democratic
governance. "Armenia did not keep its promise to the MCC to improve
its institutional commitments to democracy and tolerance towards the
opposition. Despite the appeal of the MCC Chief Executive Ambassador
Danilovich, the violations committed at the constitutional referendum
in November 2005 have not been investigated. The implementaion of
timid reforms approved by the referendum was stopped in 2006, and in
the opposition’s opinion, violations will again be committed at the
upcoming elections. Many antidemocratic methods are being used to keep
power. The judicial branch is subjected to political pressure of the
executive branch. Despite the fact that a new legislation was passed
to secure freedom of the mass media, the atmosphere of tension has
not improved, and attacks on journalists with the use of violence
continue," Freedom House’s press release says. To recap, under the
Millennium Challenge Program, the US will allocate 235 mln USD to
Armenia in the next 5 years for the development of rural settlements.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress