ARMENIAN PREMIER – NO INNOCENT PEOPLE BE PUNISHED FOR MARCH RIOTS
Public TV
April 7 2008
Armenia
[Presenter] The Peaceful Armenia civil initiative held an event
dedicated to the Day of Motherhood and Beauty in Yerevan. The
participants handed out flowers and postcards to women and girls.
[Passage omitted: the body address issues Armenia is facing] Prime
Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan paid a surprise visit to
the forum.
[Correspondent] The Peaceful Armenia forum considers dialogue and
tolerance the only way to resolve the problems in the country and
recommends effective solutions of some problems to the newly elected
president and state and political figures. [Passage omitted: forum
participants interviewed] The Peaceful Armenia forum initiators had
sent a letter consisting of six issues to the newly elected president
[Serzh Sargsyan] but doubted that the prime minister [Sargsyan] would
come. [Passage omitted: a forum participant interviewed] An hour after
the start of the forum, the newly elected president entered the hall.
[Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan, addressing forum]
Though you doubted in your open letter that I would not be able to
participate in the forum, I have come to offer my views on the issues
you have raised in your open letter to find solutions together. I
think that irrespective of the fact if I share your views or not,
I welcome this initiative because you have want dialogue, because
your stance is not rejecting everything and demolition but you are
concerned to maintain the good things and live in a better Armenia.
[Correspondent] Sargsyan said that everybody had concerns recently.
Those concerns will continue if sections of the society stop listening
to and understanding each other. Sargsyan said that societies that
wish to see and hear only pleasant things have no future. [Passage
omitted: Sargsyan on indifference]
Sargsyan talked about the six issues in the letter. The civic
initiative authors suggest that a comprehensive study be carried
out into the 1 March events, full information, providing legal and
political assessments for what had happened. Sargsyan said that all
the facts will be investigated under the criminal case launched. No
innocent person will be sentenced but the criminals will be punished.
[Sargsyan] I wish to be sincere and say that I am not sure that ever
in our society there will not be a group of people who would say in
any circumstances that the investigation was not comprehensive and
that there are questions and problems here. Many people, of course,
will exploit [the issue] for one, two or three years. For instance,
the 27 October [parliament shootings] example. Some people were glad
when that tragedy happened to us, kept silent for years and then began
the tough exploitation. In the end, the person who was in charge of
the investigation [refers to former Deputy Prosecutor-General Gagik
Jhangiryan] too began to exploit the issue.
[Correspondent] Sargsyan responded to the question on the recent
amendments to the law on rallies, demonstrations and mass events. He
said that on his request, the National Assembly [parliament] president
has asked the Venice Commission to send experts to Armenia.
Sargsyan said the provisions that are in contradiction with
European democracy rules will be changed, but things that are applied
differently in different European countries, we will maintain what we
had planned. [Passage omitted: no changes to Public TV]. When answering
a question regarding the reforms in the field of the ombudsman,
Sargsyan said that [Armenia’s ombudsman] Armen Harutyunyan can hardly
be called pro-government but if there is need for legislative reforms,
the issue can be discussed. [Passage omitted: Sargsyan on minor issues]
Sargsyan said he believes that everybody will live in a better Armenia
because everybody is united by that idea and wish. Simply, everybody
should work at its place.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
