U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT’S REPORT ON ARMENIA CONTAINS SUBJECTIVE AND ONE-SIDED OPINIONS, DEPUTY ARMEN ASHOTIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 6, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. In the words of member of the NA
"Republican Party of Armenia" (RPA) faction Armen Ashotian, the
U.S. State Department’s latest report on human rights and democracy
in Armenia contains either one-sided or subjective opinions about the
presidential election and postelection developments in the country. At
the June 6 press conference he expressed his amazement at the fact that
the State Department’s opinion condradicts that of the OSCE observer
mission’s report, according to which the presidential election was
mostly in line with democratic standards.

He said that the State Department’s report consists of two parts. The
first one, according to him, has some subjective approaches to the
electoral process in Armenia, while the second part includes a summary
text about their own work aimed at democratization in Armenia. The
deputy added that the report authors seem to have addressed this text
to U.S. tax payers, telling them "look how we have spent your money".

A. Ashotian reminded about the opinions given once by Freedom House’s
about the state of democracy in the U.S. In particular, Freedom House
indicated that several journalists who opposed the war in Iraq were
dismissed from their jobs, censorship was imposed and people were
sent to prison for political dissidence. According to A. Ashotian, in
the U.S. policemen often exceed their authority and commit violence,
while 3% of the population – about 7 million people are in prison
and the death penalty has not been abolished. Whereas, he said, the
U.S. states that "at least ten people died" during the March 1 events.