THERE ARE NO SERIOUS GROUNDS FOR DEPRIVING ARMENIA OF THE VOTING RIGHT AT PACE, DEPUTY
Trend News Agency
Jan 12 2009
Azerbaijan
Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia, MP Edward
Sharmazanov expressed confidence today that no sanctions will be
applied against Armenia at the winter session of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Deputy sees no
prerequisites for it even in case some people speak about the existence
of "political prisoners" in Armenia, reported Public radio.
Edward Sharmazanov said there are no threats for Armenia at the
Parliamentary Assembly, since the authorities have taken a number
of steps to soften the attitude of Europeans, Sharmazanov said and
recalled an example – the reforms in the judicial, tax and custom
structures, which now correspond to European standards. Besides,
he stated that the ad hoc parliamentary commission investigating
the events of March 1 did not become the executor of the will of
the authorities.
"I think that the perspective that Armenia will be deprived of the
voting right is very dim, because I do not see serious bases for
it. My subjective sentiment is that there is no serious ground for
depriving Armenia of the voting right."
"Of course, being deprived of the voting right in European structures
does not proceed from Armenia’s interests, because there is an issue
of reputation today. There are other issue, as well, but I do not keep
to the opinion that if we are deprived of the voting right, a period
of darkness will come and everything will be over," Sharmazanov said.