"POWER STRUCTURES SHOULD BE UNDER CIVIL CONTROL," SECRETARY OF HERITAGE FACTION DECLARES
Noyan Tapan
Oct 24, 2007
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "Like before, the party is still
continuing to condemn any attempt of restriction on information
dissemination and free speech, which is expressed by intolerance with
regard to alternative viewpoints." This was said in the October 24
statement of the Orinats Yerkir "Country of Law) party, which was
accepted by law enforcement bodies in connection with the prevention
of the procession organized on the eve by the representatives of the
Alternative non-governmental public initiative.
It should be mentioned that a clash took place between the
representatives of the Alternative non-governmental political
initiative and the collaborators of the police on October 23, which
was based on the attempt of the police to restrict the dissemination
of information concerning the envisaged mass meeting on October 26. As
a result, the representatives of the initiative were brought to the
Kentron police office and kept there for 8 hours.
"We abstain from giving legal marks for the reason of not being
acquainted with the details of the clash and once again consider
inadmissible similar manifestations incongruous with democracy,"
is said in the statement of the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party.
As Stiopa Safarian, the Secretary of the Zharangutiun (Heritage)
faction, declared in the October 24 sitting of the RA National
Assembly, immediately after the procession participants were brought
to the police office, the representatives of the faction met with
the leadership of the police office and demanded clarifications in
connection with what had happened. He mentioned that irrespective
of the fact that the leadership of the police office promised to
give clarifications to the MPs a few hours later, the latters were
prohibited to enter the police office and "make use of the rights
they are entitled with by the legislation."
Attaching the attention of the parliament to that fact, S. Safarian
expressed an opinion that the National Assembly should provide
legislative bases so that power structures appear under civil control
and account to society. "This is a challenge addressed to everybody
and, in my opinion, to the power representative political forces,
first of all," the MP declared.
During the conversation with a Noyan Tapan correspondent Karen
Karapetian, the Chairman of the Armenian National Movement faction,
mentioned that if the procession participants have acted in accordance
with the Constitution and Law, he considers inadmissible such an
approach of law enforcement bodies. At the same time he added that only
law enforcement bodies can comment on what happened. In connection
with the fact of using force agaisnt the procession participants by
policemen, Karen Karapetian mentioned that he, in general, is against
such approaches.