SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA WILL EVENTUALLY ENSURE THAT ITS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IS IRREVERSIBLE
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.06.2008 15:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia made European headlines for two reasons
in the past few months – one bad and one good, according to the
Armenian President.
"The first was unrest in our capital after presidential elections in
February; the second was a meeting between myself and my neighboring
Azerbaijani counterpart on June 7. Both emphasize that Armenia is very
much a country in transition, within Europe’s neighborhood. Despite
the numerous obstacles in our way, however, Armenia is deepening its
reforms and strengthening its democratic institutions as part of a
path toward sustainable good governance," Serzh Sargsyan said in an
interview with RFE/RL.
"Post-election disagreements among parties led to an opportunity for
me to work to bring together a wide political coalition, incorporating
four of the five factions represented in parliament. An important part
of that coalition’s mission are the large-scale democracy-oriented,
social, and economic reforms we are implementing at the moment. We are
working together to comply with the letter and spirit of Resolution
1609 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia," he said.
"Tangible reform steps in line with international standards include:
amendments to liberalize the Law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies,
Rallies and Demonstrations; broadening the rights of the parliamentary
opposition through concrete legislative changes, guaranteeing an
inclusive role in the political system and decision-making processes;
the drafting of a comprehensive amendment package to the electoral
code in line with Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
recommendations, which includes provisions for participation of intra-
and extraparliamentary parties; significant legislative changes to the
TV and radio law. All of these reforms are conducted with positive
expert assessment by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission,"
President Sargsyan said.
"These are, by any measure, decisive steps towards long-term reforms
that will address the discontent that emerged after recent elections
and guarantee more freedoms for the people of Armenia. We welcome any
proposals from the European Union and the upcoming French presidency
on supporting this reform process and ensuring that it is implemented
effectively," he continued.
Commenting on independent findings, the Armenian President said,
"Above and beyond PACE recommendations, we have embarked on major
law enforcement reform, and a parliamentary ad hoc committee that
includes all factions of the National Assembly has been established
to investigate the tragic circumstances of post-electoral events. This
committee will have the widest possible involvement to study all facts
and come up with its own independent findings. Extraparliamentary
groups, civil society institutions, and independent international
experts are encouraged to participate in these efforts.
We, along with PACE’s Monitoring Committee, have observed important
progress to date, but there is still much work to be done. Fortunately,
the political will exists within our coalition to carry through with
our ambitious plans. We recognize that our attractiveness as a partner
for Europe and the broader international community is at stake.
History has been cruel to Armenia. Our people have overcome enormous
difficulties, both in the distant and very recent past. But we
are determined that our country will not remain stuck in permanent
transition.
Taking our cue from the U.S. civil rights movement, I am confident in
saying that, despite the challenges ahead in terms of our democratic
development, we shall overcome.
As an enthusiastic member of the European neighborhood, Armenia will
eventually ensure that its democratic governance is irreversible."