Progress in Armenia insufficient, says PACE; full compliance expected by
January 2009
Strasbourg, 26.06.2008 – Despite the political will expressed by the
Armenian authorities to meet the requirements outlined in Resolution
1609 (2008) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia,
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) takes the
view, in a resolution adopted yesterday at the end of an urgent debate,
that "progress is at present insufficient". It regrets "the delay in
implementing concrete measures" to overcome the political crisis that
broke out after the presidential election on 19 February, while
acknowledging that "the time given to the Armenian authorities was
short".
According to the Assembly, "the detention and conviction of opposition
supporters in relation to the events of 1 March 2008 will be a point of
contention that will continue to strain the relations between opposition
and authorities and could hinder the conduct of a constructive dialogue
on the reforms needed for Armenia". PACE therefore "urges the Armenian
authorities to consider all legal means available to them, including
amnesty, pardons and dismissal of charges with respect to all persons
detained or sentenced by a court in relation to the events of 1 and 2
March 2008".
PACE points out that "freedom of assembly should be guaranteed in
practice". Moreover, it welcomes the constitution, within the National
Assembly, of an ad hoc committee "to conduct an inquiry into the events
of 1 and 2 March 2008 as well as the causes that led to them". This
Committee has "the possibility to invite national and international
experts to participate in its work, which should increase the
credibility of its investigations," the parliamentarians said.
As proposed by the Monitoring Committee co-rapporteurs, Georges
Colombier (France, EPP/CD) and John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), who
visited the country on 16 and 17 June to assess the situation, the
Assembly decided to review the extent of Armenia’s compliance with the
requirements in Resolution 1609 at its January 2009 part-session, and to
consider the possibility of suspending the voting rights of the Armenian
delegation at the opening of the session if the conditions set out in
the resolution were not met.
PACE Resolution 1609 (2008)
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1609.htm>
P ACE Resolution 1620 (2008)
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1620.htm>
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