Armenian Public TV
Oct 24 2008

Armenian opposition MPs welcome fact-finding group to probe March
riots

[Presenter] The country’s ombudsman and political forces today
welcomed the establishment of a fact-finding group under a decree of
President Serzh Sargsyan with the purpose of helping the temporary
parliamentary commission to study the 1 March [post-election
disturbances] events. Even the opposition is content with the
principle of its establishment and activity. In this regard a
representative of the Heritage [parliamentary faction] noted that it
could be a belated but necessary step.

[Correspondent] The Heritage faction came to briefings today almost in
full representation and each of them stressed that they would put
forward their personal opinions. The assessment of the fact-finding
group established under the president’s decree was the following: the
step was a necessary one and the format a balanced one.

[A member of the Heritage faction, Stepan Safaryan, speaking at a
briefing] It is a praiseworthy step, albeit a belated one.

[A member of the Heritage faction , Armen Martirosyan, speaking at a
briefing] I believe that the format is balanced: two people assigned
by the government, two by the opposition and one by the ombudsman. I
accept that a member [of the group] should by all means be an
experienced person, which is also acceptable.

[Correspondent] MPs from the Heritage faction said today they would
start discussing issues of participation and representation. The
fact-finding group will be established according to the model
suggested both by the parliamentary opposition and the opposition not
represented in the parliament. So, it is unlikely that there will be
any bias, the Prosperous Armenia Party believes.

[MP Naira Zohrabyan of the coalition Prosperous Armenia Party] I am
sure that both the opposition not represented in the parliament and
Heritage will take part in the work of the fact-finding group and
therefore, I believe that the group will significantly help the work
of our commission.

[Correspondent] No format can instil absolute trust, but there will be
much fewer critics, Samvel Nikoyan [the head of the parliamentary
commission] believes. Heghine Bisharyan [of the coalition Orinats
Yerkir (Law-Governed Country) Party] believes that balance has been
maintained.

[Heghine Bisharyan] Two people will represent all the coalition
forces, and two people will represent the opposition – one will be a
representative of the political force of [former President] Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and the other from Heritage. Both will be representing
the opposition, that is balance has been maintained here, and the
ombudsman has the right to appoint one person. The most important
thing is that they will be specialists, lawyers and not party members.

[Correspondent] As a well-informed head of the faction, Heghine
Bisharyan, denied Turkish media reports, which recently appeared in
some local media as well, saying that Armenia had allegedly suggested
in September that Turkey become a mediator in the Karabakh settlement.

[Bisharyan] With regard to this information, I can say that Serzh
Sargsyan simply did not say such a thing.

[Correspondent ] Ara Nranyan from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation -Dashnaktsutyun advised people not to believe such
propaganda reports. Our official position has been made public on many
occasions. The settlement of [the Karabakh] issue is acceptable only
in the format of the [OSCE] Minsk Group. The most important thing in
this story is the reason this so-called discovery has been put into
circulation, his colleague noted.

[Artashes Shahbazyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun] Are there some expectations and hopes that are
failing? And this gives an opportunity for such phenomena. The
mediated outflow of information via the Azerbaijani media gives us
ground for special suspicions.

[translated]