TOROSIAN PRESENTS SITUATION TO PACE REPRESENTATIVE
ARMENPRESS
March 6, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS: Parliament chairman Tigran Torosian
received today John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) a representative
of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) who at the
request of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, returned to
Armenia to assess the post-electoral situation in the country and
explore possibilities for defusing the current political crisis and
promoting dialogue.
Prescott headed a group of parliamentarians from the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) which observed the
presidential election in Armenia on 19 February 2008.
The parliamentary press office said Torosian spoke about the current
political situation in Armenia.
According to Torosian, the main difference between the 2007
parliamentary election and the February 19 presidential election is
that former president Levon Ter-Petrosian, who was a presidential
candidate, advocated ‘hate, evil and revenge,’ labeling all those
who were not on his side as ‘fascists, traitors and scoundrels."
Torosian said the March 1 unrest in Yerevan was absolutely not in the
authorities’ interest, whose candidate garnered almost 52 percent of
the vote and vote recounting in 130 polling stations did not reveal
any serious breach.
Torosian also disagreed with statements calling for release of arrested
people and starting dialogue to diffuse the tension. He said all
arrested people are charged with committing criminal offences and
will be held accountable.
Prescott was quoted as saying that his mission is to help a Council of
Europe member country at this difficult time. He said any government
has the right to use all available means to stave off destabilization,
but added there are different interpretations of situations, saying
also the final word belongs to judicial bodies.