PACE MONITORING COMMITTEE WELCOMES FULFILLMENT OF DEMAND TO AMEND CRIMINAL CODE BY ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The PACE Monitoring Committee
at the March 30 meeting in Valensia (Spain) in addition to other
issues discussed the process of fulfillment of Resolution N 1609,
1620 adopted by the Assembly in 2008 and 1643 adopted at the 2009
January session on activity of democratic institutions in Armenia.

According to RPA member David Haroutiunian, the head of the Armenian
delegation in PACE, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State
and Legal Issues, the Monitoring Committee taking into consideration
Venice Commission’s positive conclusion, welcomed Armenia’s amending
RA Criminal Code Articles 225 (mass disorders), 300 (seizing the
state power), and a number of other articles, by which a number of
opposition representatives are accused in connection with the 2008
March 1 events. Meanwhile the Committee attached importance to the
further process of Criminal Code’s use.

Depending on the results to be recorded in that issue, the Monitoring
Committee before the PACE plenary session to be held on April 27-30
will again touch upon fulfillment of the commitments assumed by
Armenia.

Issues regarding the legislative amendments on Armenian electronic
media activity carried out at present, Yerevan Council of Elders
elections to be held on May 31 were also discussed at the meeting. In
connection with the latter the Committee welcomed holding of elections
in conditions of political pluralism, with the participation of the
opposition and pro-governmental forces, also positively assessing the
circumstance that parties making part of the political coalition run
for the elections with individual electoral rolls.

It should be mentioned that at the January session the Assembly decided
not to suspend the vote of the Armenian parliamentary delegation
members by stipulating by Resolution N 1643 that the Monitoring
Committee was proposed before Assembly’s April session "studying the
progress achieved by the Armenian authorities in the direction of
fulfilling these and previous resolutions and proceeding from the
situation, proposing additional events to be held by the Assembly."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress