DESTINY OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE TO BE DECIDED IN STRASBOURG TOMORROW

ArmInfo
2009-01-26 12:26:00

ArmInfo. PACE winter session opens in Strasbourg today. The Armenian
delegation at the session will be headed by Chief of the Permanent
Commission for Legal Affairs of the Armenian Parliament David
Harutyunyan.

Fulfillment of Resolution 1633 about the consequences of the
war between Georgia and Russia and the humanitarian consequences
of the conflict, the situation in the Gaza strip and the global
financial crisis will be in the center of attention of PACE winter
session. However, discussions on fulfillment of Resolutions 1609 and
1620 by Armenia concerning functioning of democratic institutes in
the republic are of the most concern for the Armenian authorities.

To recall, Resolution 1609 "Functioning of Democratic Institutes in
Armenia" was adopted at PACE winter session on April 17, 2008. The
Resolution contained 4 specific requirements, namely: cancel
the amendments made on March 17, 2002 to the Law ‘On the Order
of Holding of Meetings, Rallies, Processions and Demonstrations’;
immediately start independent and trustworthy investigation of March
1, 2008, events and its consequences; release all the persons who
were apparently detained on the fictitious and politically motivated
accusations and who did not personally perform any acts of violence
or serious infractions; start an open serious dialogue among all
the political fo rces in Armenia concerning the reforms the Assembly
urges to implement with respect to the political system, the election
process, freedom and pluralism in the mass media, freedom if meetings,
independence of the judicial system and behaviour of the Police.

Co-rapporteurs of PACE Monitoring Commission John Prescott and
George Colombier will expectedly make a relevant report. To recall,
the co-rapporteurs were in Armenia on January 14-15, 2009, and met
the Armenian officials. However, the co-rapporteurs did not meet
representatives of the Armenian opposition and refused to answer the
journalists’ questions.

To also recall, CE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammerberg,
being in Armenia on November 20-23, positively assessed only creation
of the expert group on collection of facts. In general, assessments of
the Commissioner were rather harsh. In particular, T.Hammerberg said
no progress was fixed with respect to development of the situation
with the political prisoners in Armenia. Moreover, T. Hammerberg
said he will give critical assessments in his report to the completed
judicial investigations and the legal proceedings on the ‘case of the
seven’. He also added that investigation and preparation of this case
was carried out non-professionally. ‘My conclusions regarding the
prisoners will be strictly critical. So, it is quite possible that
sanctions will be applied against Armenia, in particular, exclusion
of the Armenian delegation from the poll in PACE’, T. Hammerberg said.

A draft resolution was passed at the session of PACE Monitoring
Commission on December 17 saying the Armenian authorities did not
show enough will in fulfillment of PACE resolutions. Moreover, the
document says ‘it is inadmissible to prosecute and arrest the people
for the political orientation’. It also contains a recommendation
on suspension of the Armenian delegation’s voting right in PACE. The
Armenian opposition hurried to announce the decision of PACE Monitoring
Commission its splendid victory.

To also note, many of the Armenian officials have multiply emphasized
that Armenia fulfilled the greater part of the requirements contained
in PACE resolutions. Moreover, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward
Nalbandyan expressed hope that бo-rapporteurs ‘treated their meetings
in Armenia intelligently and this intelligence will declare itself
during preparation of their report’.

In general, a rather tense internal political situation has developed
in Armenia on the threshold of PACE winter session. The sittings on
the ‘Case of the Seven’ are permanently postponed, the ruling party
starts blaming the Armenian delegation to PACE for bad fulfillment
of its duties, the Armenian analysts and experts forecast possible
decision of PACE and its consequences for Armenia. A wide response was
evoked by the Armenian parliament speaker’s letter forwarded to the
heads of parliaments of CE member-states urging to refrain from vo
ting for the resolution according to which the Armenian delegation
will be debarred from voting in PACE. To note, the letter, as it
turned out later, was written with numerous grammatical and stylistic
mistakes. Discussions concerning fulfillment of the afore-indicated
PACE resolutions by Armenia will be held tomorrow on January 27.

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