CO-REPORTERS SUBMIT NEW BILL

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
June 25, 2008
Armenia

During the session of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, the co-reporters on Armenian
issue submitted a bill of a new resolution, which touches upon the
statements in resolution 1609 on "the activity of the democratic
institutions in Armenia", the process of its implementation and the
problems faced by Armenia.

Head of PACE Armenian Delegation Davit Harutyunyan said the document
gives special emphases to the fact that the terms envisaged by the
resolution was extremely short, however the authorities managed to take
certain steps, but there are still lots of gaps. The Committee and
the Parliamentary Assembly will touch upon this issue, most probably
during PACE January session.

The document gives special attention to all the issues included
in resolution 1609, especially to the law on "Holding rallies,
demonstration marches and protests", which is considered an implemented
step, but it is mentioned that it should be properly put into action.

"The bill of the resolution touches upon the persons under criminal
persecution, proposals are being made to settle that situation. There
are certain proposals regarding the effectiveness of the activity of
NA Temporary Committee, aimed at raising public trust, ensuring the
transparency of the Committee’s activity and the possible assistance
of the Council of Europe in those works," Davit Harutyunyan said.

The document also underscores, in case, before the January 2009
session it is considered that Armenia failed to fulfill certain
obligations enshrined in 1609 and the new resolution, the Assembly
will most probably quit the competencies of RA delegation.

Armenian delegation has submitted more than twenty proposals regarding
the bill of the resolution, which will firstly be discussed on June
25, during the session of PACE Monitoring Committee, after which the
issue will be submitted to the Assembly.