ARMENIAN COURT THROWS OUT OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE’S SUIT

Public TV
Feb 11 2008
Armenia

The Armenian Constitutional Court has not upheld former President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s complaint accusing Armenian Public TV of a
smear campaign against him. The campaign has created "insurmountable
obstacles" for his presidential campaign, Ter-Petrosyan said, asking
to postpone the presidential election scheduled for 19 February. The
following is the text of a report on state-owned Armenian Public TV
on 11 February:

[Presenter] The Armenian Constitutional Court today began hearings
into the case filed by presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
requesting the court to recognize as insurmountable the obstacles for
presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the 2008 presidential
election.

Ter-Petrosyan’s representatives Artak Zeynalyan, Ruben Torosyan and
Ruben Sanoyan argued in the court that reports portraying Levon
Ter-Petrosyan in a negative light were broadcast by Public TV’s
"Haylur" news bulletin in violation of Armenian legislation. The
plaintiff also claimed that election broadcasts of the candidates on
H1 [Armenian Public TV], which are aired at unsuitable times for TV
viewers, do not help offset the negative advertising by "Haylur".

The plaintiff said that for the first time ever, one of the candidates
had found himself in a situation whereby he could not campaign
equally with the other candidates and asked the court to recognize
the obstacles as insurmountable.

The Constitutional Court members, after hearing all the arguments by
the candidate’s representatives, went to the consultation room for a
consultation behind closed doors. After the consultation, which lasted
several hours, Constitutional Court chairman Gagik Harutyunyan read
out the ruling, according to which the arguments cannot be deemed
insurmountable obstacles.

[Gagik Harutyunyan, reading out the ruling] Based on the results of
the study of the case, and in compliance with Article 52, Section 4
of Article 100 and Article 102 of the Constitution of the Republic
of Armenia, Articles 63, 64 and 75 of the Law on the Constitutional
Court of the Republic of Armenia, the Constitutional Court of the
Republic of Armenia rules: Number one – the arguments presented by the
plaintiff cannot be deemed insurmountable obstacles for presidential
candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the 2008 presidential election in
the Republic of Armenia as in line with Articles 52 and 75 of the
Republic of Armenia Law on the Constitutional Court. Number two –
under Section 2 of Article 102 of the Constitution of the Republic
of Armenia, this ruling is final and shall be enforced immediately.