ANC COORDINATOR: PACE RESOLUTION N 1643 CREATES A BASIS FOR RESTORING DEMOCRATIC VALUES
Noyan Tapan
Feb 3, 2009
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. PACE Resolution N 1643 adopted at
the January session and the report attached to it are not so bad
and create a basis to restore democratic values. Levon Zurabian,
the Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress, expressed such
an opinion at the February 3 press conference adding that the above
mentioned resolution is a more serious document than previous PACE
resolutions, as the Assembly has received a written promise from the
Armenian authorities on solving country’s domestic problems in the
near future. However, according to L. Zurabian, in the very respect
Resolution N 1643 can be considered a retreat, as the RA authorities
never fulfill their written and oral promises.
"The authorities just make a deception," the ANC Coordinator said
adding that the decision to grant amnesty to 16 arrested people,
only 2 out of which were on political prisoners’ list, was also a
deception. According to L. Zurabian, 14 of those being granted amnesty
"robbed shops and set cars on fire." And, according to him, the thing
that surprised him was that the deception gave a result desirable
for the RA authorities during the PACE session: no sanctions were used.
He considered it strange that PACE Co-rapporteurs on Armenia John
Prescott and George Colombier have not agreed to meet with the
ANC leadership from December 17 up to the present to discuss the
process of resolutions’ fulfillment and country’s home political
situation. According to L. Zurabian, the radical opposition is
concerned with it because the Co-rapporteurs have started to reject
meetings systematically.
L. Zurabian also touched upon the issue of amending RA Criminal Code
Articles 225 and 300 stressing that not amending them but putting
an end to "that invented tale" is important. "Resolution N 1643 more
than exactly writes that the accusations on seizing the power brought
to the political prisoners have not been proved," he said.