PACE PLENARY SESSION TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF PUTTING DEBATES ON THE SITUATION IN ARMENIA ON AGENDA OF SUMMER SESSION

ArmInfo
2008-06-23 12:50:00

PACE Plenary Session is to discuss the issue of putting debates on the
situation in Armenia on the agenda of Summer Session Monday, Head of
the Armenian delegation to PACE, Chairman of the Armenian Parliamentary
Commission for State and Legal Affairs David Haroutunyan told ArmInfo.

Commenting on the most probable developments at PACE, D. Haroutunyan
said: process>. As regards the opinion that any sanctions on Armenia
will hinder democratization of the country, he said: ‘I think it will
become known after the debates. In the meantime, we have much to do
at the Monitoring Committee. So, the issue will be mainly discussed
there’.

To recall, in April 208 PACE adopted the Resolution No1609 ‘Functioning
of democratic institutions in Armenia’. Among the recommendations to
the Armenian party, the Assembly urges the Armenian authorities to
undertake the following reforms without further delay: the political
system should guarantee a proper status and appropriate rights to the
opposition and a fully transparent administration of the election
process; the independence from any political interest of both the
National Television and Radio Commission and the Public Television
and Radio Council must be guaranteed; the authorities should step up
their efforts to establish a truly independent judiciary and enhance
the public’s trust in the courts; arbitrary arrests and detentions, as
well as the ill- treatment of detainees, in particular during police
custody, should be stopped; an effective public control mechanism
over the police must be guaranteed both in law and practice.

It should be noted that PACe co-rapporteurs that had recently visited
the country found the efforts of the authorities insufficient. PACE
adopted the above Resolution after post- election incidents in Yerevan.