Armenia: ‘few tangible results’ on PACE demands so far, says Monitoring
Committee

Strasbourg, 28.05.2008 – 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.

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.

Resolution
< ments/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1609.htm> 1609 (2008)

Press Release
Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit
Ref: 382a08
Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34
pace.com@coe.int
internet:

The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 318 members from the national
parliaments of the 47 member states.
President: Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC) ; Secretary General of the
Assembly: Mateo Sorinas.
Political Groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People’s Party); SOC
(Socialist Group); EDG (European Democratic Group);

ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the
Unified European Left).