PACE URGES POLITICIANS IN ARMENIA TO RESPECT COURT RULING ON ELECTION

ITAR-TASS
March 19 2008
Russia

PARIS, March 19 (Itar-Tass) – Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe /PACE/ has urged political parties in Armenia to recognize
the authority of the country’s Constitution Court and to acknowledge
its decisions on the results of the presidential election.

This is said in a communique of PACE’s Monitoring Committee that had
a meeting in Paris Tuesday to discuss the situation in Armenia and
proposals of the Council of Europe’s representative John Prescott on
ways of untangling the current tensions.

One of the recommendations Prescott made is to lift the state of
emergency in the Armenian capital Yerevan and restore human rights,
as well as to release from detention all the activists of opposition
parties who did not commit serious offenses.

The Monitoring Committee also called on the sides to refrain from any
steps that may jeopardize the situation and to launch a dialogue for
eliminating the crisis.

The committee also believes it is necessary to hold consultations
among all the political forces on the election law reform so as to
rebuild people’s trust in the results of elections and on a reform
of the political system, which would guarantee the opposition a role
in making political decisions and governing the country.