DEMOCRACY WILL QUICKLY BE REINSTATED IN ARMENIA

A1+
[08:02 pm] 22 January, 2009

"The Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe and the 47 PACE-member countries have never been in such a
difficult situation," told "A1+" head of the Armenian delegation to
PACE from 1999-2003, former head of the foreign relations committee and
current leader of the Armenian Liberal Party Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

Only three countries have had their voting rights suspended in the
history of PACE. Turkey lost its voting rights when it annexed Northern
Cyprus, Greece lost its voting rights when the "black coronels" came
to power and in 2002 the Russian Federation had its voting rights
suspended when it was in a war with Chechnya.

Some government representatives tie the situation at PACE with the
flaws of the committee. As former head of the delegation, Hovhannes
Hovhannisyan notes that the committee can’t do any more.

"The committee is not to blame for the 10 murders on March 1,
the falsified elections, dozens of political prisoners, hundreds of
injured, dozens of cases with violations, lack of a legal system. What
could the committee do? As former head of the committee and former head
of the delegation, I understand the situation at hand. The government
is trying to do everything it can to throw the blame of the crimes
on four or five members of the committee. This is not right," said
Hovhannes Hovhannisyan.

As far as the letter sent by NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan to heads
of parliaments of the CE-member countries, according to Hovhannisyan,
that will have a negative impact.

"There is no such practice in the Council of Europe. When there are
issues concerning the country, the political elite of the country
gives an explanation to the member countries only if the president and
officials have the moral right and what they say is perceived. What
do they have to say? The content of the letter in which it is stated
that we have the Karabakh conflict to resolve just throws down the
reputation of our country," said Hovhannisyan.

If Armenia loses its voting rights, what effect will that have on
the country? Many say that nothing will change.

"It will be a serious blow to the country’s image. Armenia will find
itself in economic and political isolation. Armenia will be included
in the list of countries where human rights are not protected, where
there are political prisoners and Armenia will receive political and
economic sanctions. Armenia will not be able to get through."

Who will suffer the loss in the end?

"The government won’t suffer the loss; rather, the state, and the
state is the people. But that won’t take long because there will be
new elections, democracy will be reinstated and we will prove to the
world that they helped us reinstate democracy in Armenia. After all,
that is the issue of European organizations and Western values."