PACE CALLS OFF CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA TO NEXT WINTER

ARKA
June 26

The Monitoring Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) has given Armenia extra time to fulfill
the commitments of Resolution 1609. RIA Novosti quotes a PACE source
as saying: "Armenia has to meet the resolution commitments by next
winter."

The authors of the resolution call on Armenia’s authorities to step up
their efforts to implement political reforms, taking the opposition’s
opinion into account. They also urge Armenia to reform the electoral
system and ensure independence of mass media, as well as to guarantee
the freedom of assembly both by law and in practice. PACE calls on
Armenian authorities to carry out transparent investigation of the
March 1 clashes in Yerevan.

Since February 20 rallies, sit-ins and student walkouts had been held
by the opposition led by Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosian
in the center of Yerevan. The initiators and protesters accused
Kocharyan’s ally and Prime Minister Serge Sargsian of rigging the
presidential election on February 19.

Mass disturbances began on March 1-2 when authorities used force to
clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped
there for the past 10 days. Ten people died and 256 were injured as
a result of clashes.