International observers express pity over the fact that some observers
couldn’t participate in monitoring of the parliamentary election
ArmInfo.
2007-05-13 16:55:00
International observers express pity over the fact that some observers
failed to come to Armenia to monitor the parliamentary election, Tone
Tingsgaard, Special Co-ordinator of the short-term election observers
and Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, said at a
press-conference in Yerevan, Sunday.
According to her, this fact will be reflected in the observers’
report. Marie Anne Isler Beguin, who headed the delegation of the
European Parliament, refused to comment upon the reasons of this
situation and recalled that EU has started the implementation of the
Neighborhood Policy program where both Armenia and other Caucasian
countries take part. According to her, it is a good and kind policy,
and Armenia has become a member of the EU family due to it. Marie
Anne Isler Beguin also expressed hope that the Armenian authorities
will take into consideration the goals of the program and will allow
their neighbors to come and monitor the election. She hopes that the
program will contribute to the opening of the border and create normal
relations between the neighbors.
To remind, the Armenia refused to receive Turkish representatives as
observers. Armenia and Turkey lack diplomatic relations, and Turkey
keeps the border with Armenia closed despite the international law. At
the same time, Turkey itself has some problems with democracy and
human rights, particularly, Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code
which stipulates criminalization for insulting Turkish identity. To
remind, Hrant Dink, Editor of the Armenian "Agos" newspaper, was
murdered by Turkish nationalists in Istanbul in 2007. Several people
were also killed in a publishing house where Christian spiritual
literature was printed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
