"THE DETAINED ARE AUTHORS OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES AND SHOULD BE PUNISHED", SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT STATED
Mediamax
March 6, 2008
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Speaker of the Armenian parliament Tigran Torosian
stated today that in the process of pre-election campaign Levon
Ter-Petrosian stimulated hatred concerning not only the authorities,
but also other candidates, describing as "fascists" and "betrayers"
those, who do not support him.
As Mediamax was told in the press service of the parliament, Tigran
Torosian said this during the meeting with the Head of the Observation
Mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
John Prescott.
The Speaker presented his ideas concerning the present situation
in Armenia.
"During the recount of votes in over 130 polling stations, only in
two of them considerable violations were revealed, and criminal
cases are initiated against the chairmen of those commissions",
Tigran Torosian stated.
He reminded that the Armenian parliament, at the assistance of experts
from the Council of Europe, approved a law on gatherings, rallies,
processions and demonstrations, according to which the organizers have
to inform the authorities on their intention to realize the event,
as well as on the place, time and the person in charge. At that the
law forbids the participants of a rally to have arms, ammunition and
explosives with them.
"The video cameras evidence that when the Police tried to realize an
inspection at the Freedom Square, the rally participants attacked
the employees of the Police with bludgeons and metal sticks",
Tigran Torosian stated. He noted that "to prevent barbarism and
acts of vandalism, there was no way, other than introducing state
of emergency".
According to the assessment of the Speaker of the parliament, the
unrest in Yerevan was not related to the presidential elections,
but became a manifestation of hatred and revenge, which led to
human losses.
Tigran Torosian expressed disagreement as to the statements
on necessity of setting the detained free. "The authors of such
statements are not well informed, since the detained are the authors
of criminal offences and should be punished", the Speaker stated,
adding that "dialogue is necessary, but not concerning the results
of elections, which is the task of the Constitutional Court, but
concerning the further reforms in the country with the participation
of all political forces".
"If the mass rallies present danger for stability, each government
may take up corresponding actions to prevent the threat, but in
each situation there may be various comments concerning the events,
the final decision on which should be made by courts", John Prescott
stated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
