"WE DO NOT NEED SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS AND FORMAL APPROACHES," RA PRESIDENT SAYS

NO YAN TAPAN
JUNE 18

The process of the fulfilment of the suggestions of Resolution 1609 on
"Activities of Democratic Institutions in Armenia" of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe was discussed during the working
consultation of President Serge Sargsian, which was held on June 17.

He mentioned that a consultation with almost the same staff took
place a month ago, during which the main tasks connected with the
suggestions of PACE Resulotion 1609 were planned. Mentioning that
enough work was done in the past period of time, Serge Sargsian
considered the summing up of the work and pointing out of the further
tasks as the objective of the consultation. "My approach has been and
is still the same: irrespective of the post-election developments,
which took place in Armenia, we were and are now obliged to carry
out our pre-electoral programs. They are our conviction and we
will implement them completely," he said and added: "We do not need
short-term solutions, we do not need formal approaches. It is important
what grounds are being laid today and it is important that the made
decisions are directed to future."

Tigran Torosian, the Speaker of the National Assembly, introduced the
work done in the sense of the expansion of the rights of the opposition
in the parliament. He mentioned that a draft law has been developed
and is currently sent for the examination of the Venice Commission and
will be subject for discussion at the autumn session. According to the
NA Speaker, all the 27 points defined for the parliamentary opposition
by the resolution have, in practice, almost been implemented, except
for two of them, which contradict the RA Constitution.

David Haroutiunian, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee of
State-Legal Issues, introduced the activities of the task group in the
direction of the amendment and improvement of the Electoral Code. In
his estimation, work is proceeding rather productively in the group.

The work done in the direction of the regulation of the TV sphere
was introduced by Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of the NA
Standing Committee of Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport
Issues. She said that on the initiative of the Committee, parliamentary
hearings were held, as a result of which four draft laws have been
developed. According to the Chairwoman of the Committee, this is
one of the exceptional cases, when the parcel has been signed by
all the parliamentary factions, including the representative of the
opposition Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction and been sent to the CE
Venice Commission for an examination.

It was also mentioned that the change of the structure of the programs
of the TV companies has been appreciable recently, people having
different approaches, different ways of thinking and even extreme
opinions are invited to TV programs.

S. Sargsian said that the Public TV company is to be able to meet
the demand of all the strata of society, so as it is possible "to
form a really free medium, which is the only way to hinder the yellow
press." "We should be able to form a medium, which will enjoy public
confidence, we should be able to do so that a TV company functioning
due to the means of tax payers meets the demands of the latters,"
he stressed.

With regard to the other suggestions of the PACE Resolution it was
mentioned that the law regulating the Holding of Meetings, Rallies,
Marches and Demonstrations has already been adopted, that a Public
Council has been created.

Aghvan Hovsepian, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia,
stated that 46 out of the 115 arrested people are currently
free. Conditional verdicts have been applied towards them, as
well as certain criminal cases were quashed during the preliminary
investigation. Encouraging such an approach, S. Sargsian said: "If the
crime committed by people is not so heavy, one should, certainly, treat
them gentlely. However, all those, who have committed heavy crimes,
should, certainly be punished in order to realize the seriousness of
their deed."

It was mentioned that for the purpose of fulfilment of the demand
on the implementation of an independent investigation in connection
with the March 1-2 events, an NA Ad hoc Commission of the Study of the
events, which took place on March 1-2 in Yerevan, and their reasons has
been formed. In the conviction of Serge Sargsian, the commission should
involve international and local experts, as well as representatives
of society and do its best for its conclusions to inspire confidence
and suggestions to be admissible. "I am sure that the parliamentary
commission has all the possibilities for being such one," he said.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, the consultation participants have mentioned
that after the passage of the resolution: within two months, voluminous
work has been conducted, concrete steps, legislative and institutional
serious reforms have been undertaken for the purpose of bringing to
life the suggestions of the resolution and they will continue to work
consistently in that direction.