PACE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE STABILITY IN ARMENIA

ARKA
April 4, 2008

YEREVAN, April 4. /ARKA/. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE) Lluis Maria de Puig made a statement
in Sankt-Petersburg expressing his interest in deepening democratic
values in Armenia and assuring that the PACE will make every effort
to ensure stability and continue democratic processes in the country.

The CE is confident that Armenia will maintain committed to CE values,
de Puig said at his meeting with the Speaker of Armenian Parliament
Tigran Torosian who is participating in the 30th plenary session of
CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in Sankt-Petersburg.

De Puig also expressed concern about the events happened in Armenia.

Although the reasons for imposing an emergency rule could be
understood, anyway the state of emergency set serious restrictions
in terms of democracy. He voiced his support to the report of the
PACE observer mission in the presidential elections in Armenia;
according to the report the elections of February 19 were held mainly
in compliance with international standards.

De Puig said he intends to visit the South Caucasus region soon.

The Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian, in his part,
appreciated the balance stand of the PACE on the events in Armenia
and stressed the importance of the role and the mission of the Council
of Europe in solving the existing problems.

He attached importance to having a clear picture of the situation
during the upcoming discussion on activities of democratic institutions
in Armenia.

Torosian also appreciated the election monitoring and post-election
fact-finding mission headed by the PACE reporter John Prescott. In
the reports of these missions elections and post-elections processes
have been clearly differentiated which is very important for having
a clear view of the situation.

Torosian reported serious recommendations made on establishing
stability and on democratic processes in the country and considered
it useful to reflect them in the PACE resolution.

In speaking about the amendments to the law on assemblies, rallies
and demonstrations Torosian said that they were passed at a special
parliament session and have been immediately sent to CE Venice
Commission for examination.

"We have already received the opinion of the experts and agreed
with the Venice Commission to hold discussion on April 15-16," the
Speaker said.

Under the amendments passed by the Armenian Parliament on March 17,
public events may be forbidden in case of reliable evidence proving
that they aim at throwing down the constitutional order, stirring up
national, racial or religious hatred, at war and violence propaganda
or if the events may harm the state security, public order, morals
and health of the public, constitutional rights and freedoms of
other people.

The law reads that the evidence can be considered reliable if the
Police of the National Security Service provides official conclusion
on the case.

ODIHR/OSCE and the CE Venice Commission voiced concerns over the
amendments and said that they restrict the freedom of assembly,
whereas the bill authors state that the amendments are in full
compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights.