ARMENIA: ‘FEW TANGIBLE RESULTS’ ON PACE DEMANDS SO FAR, SAYS MONITORING COMMITTEE

arminfo
2008-05-29 15:01:00

ArmInfo. The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in Kyiv on 26 and 27 May 2008,
welcomed the initiatives taken by the Armenian authorities to address
the issues contained in Resolution 1609 (2008) on the functioning of
democratic institutions in Armenia. However, it is concerned that,
to date, these initiatives have led to only a few tangible results
regarding compliance with the demands of the Assembly as set out in
this Resolution, CE headquarters told ArmInfo.

In Resolution 1609 (2008), the Assembly resolved to consider the
possibility of suspending the voting rights of the Armenian delegation
at the start of its June 2008 part- session unless considerable
progress is made on the following requirements:

* to revoke, in line with Venice Commission recommendations, the
recently adopted amendments to the Law on Conducting Meetings,
Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations;

* to start an independent, transparent and credible inquiry into the
events on 1 March 2008, as well as the circumstances that led to them;

* to release the persons detained on seemingly artificial and
politically motivated charges;

* to initiate an open and serious dialogue between the political
forces on the reforms demanded by the Assembly.

The committee noted that the required changes to the Law on Conducting
Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations have been passed at
first reading by the National Assembly of Armenia and expects them to
be adopted and promulgated before the start of the June part-session of
PACE. It welcomes the steps taken to initiate a dialogue on the reforms
requested by the Assembly, most notably with respect to the electoral
system and the status and rights of the opposition. It expresses the
hope that those opposition leaders who to date have been reluctant
to participate in this dialogue will now consider joining. That said,
the committee is seriously concerned about the lack of any noticeable
progress on the opening of an independent and credible enquiry. The
format envisaged of a parliamentary ad hoc committee to carry out
the inquiry into the events on, and leading to, 1 March will lack
the requisite independence and credibility demanded by the Assembly,
unless the participation of extra-parliamentary opposition, civil
society and international experts is guaranteed. The committee also
regrets that no progress has been made regarding the release of persons
detained on seemingly artificial and politically motivated charges.

The committee is convinced that, although time is limited, it is still
possible for the Armenian authorities to address the requirements
of the Assembly in time for the visit of the co-rapporteurs of the
committee in the week before the June part-session. Therefore, the
committee instructed its Chair to ask on its behalf for a debate under
urgent procedure during the June 2008 part-session of the Assembly
if the co-rapporteurs, following their visit to Armenia on 16 and 17
June, conclude that insufficient progress has been achieved by then.