ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT FAILS TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS
news.am
Feb 19 2010
Armenia
The Foreign Relations Committee, RA Parliament, was to discuss the
Armenian-Turkish protocols today. As a result of heated debate, the
Committee, at Chairman Armen Rustamyan’s suggestion, decided to set up
a work group, with one representative of each parliamentary faction
included it in, to advance proposals for a thorough discussion of
the protocols.
At the suggestion of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) (ARF(D) and Heritage faction members, the Committee
decided to request Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan that the
protocols should be discussed not during the four-day session that
begins on February 22, but only after the Committee gives its expert
opinion.
The Regulations of the RA National Assembly contain a relevant
provision. However, Stepan Safaryan, Chairman of the Heritage
parliamentary faction, told NEWS.am that "our Parliament has very
bad traditions and may start discussing the protocols during the
next four-day session at the instance of the Armenian President or
RA Minister of Defense."
The Armenian-Turkish protocols were put on the RA Parliament’s
agenda and will be submitted to discussions without regardless of the
Committee’s opinion. The ruling coalition members are for ratifying
the protocols, whereas the Heritage faction members are strongly
against. The ARF is against, but it will change its mind provided
reservation clauses are introduced.
The Committee is to hold its next sitting on March 12, but it may
also hold a special sitting to discuss the protocols.
Stepan Safaryan told NEWS.am that the coalition members are
for multi-stage discussions of the protocols. "May be they want
the protocols to be ratified later. They seem to be delaying the
ratification, hoping that Turkey will not do it as well. Or they want
to get dividends, for an American official to praise our authorities,"
Safaryan said.
The Foreign Relations Committee discussed draft amendments to the
Law "On international agreements", which was put on the agenda of
the four-day session ahead of schedule. The law allows a signatory
to withdraw its signature before the agreement takes effect. RA
Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, who introduced the bill,
under Stepan Safaryan’s pressure, had to admit that the bill was
introduced on President Serzh Sargsyan’s order and has to do with
the Armenian-Turkish protocols.