States News Service
May 14, 2010 Friday

ARMENIA NEEDS A CLEAR ROADMAP OF REFORMS IN ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE DEMOCRACY

STRASBOURG, France

The following information was released by the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE):

The President of PACE Mevlut Cavusoglu has called on the authorities
of Armenia to draw on the recommendations of its ad hoc parliamentary
committee and of PACE in relation to the 1-2 March 2008 events and to
adopt and implement in due time a roadmap of reforms. Such clear
determination is needed in order to restore public confidence, move
towards reconciliation and consolidate the democratic process in the
country.

At the end of his visit to the country, the PACE President encouraged
the National Assembly to play to the full its role of parliamentary
control, in particular when discussing the reports that will be
submitted by its Committee on State and Legal Affairs, which is
responsible for the monitoring of the implementation of the reforms
needed in relation to the March 2008 events. The President praised the
excellent co-operation that has been existing with the Armenian
delegation to PACE in that respect.

Amongst the most important reforms needed, the President stressed: the
adoption of a new electoral code, up to the highest European
standards, well ahead of the 2012 parliamentary elections; the reform
of the police, including better education and a change in the
mentality; the reforms needed to ensure the independence in the
justice sector; the unrestricted implementation of the law on freedom
of assembly; and the independence and pluralism of the media, in
particular with regard to the tender on broadcasting licences that
would be organised in July 2010.

At the same time, the President considered it "unacceptable" that
nobody has been held responsible in relation to the 10 deaths that
occurred during the March 2008 events. He also stressed that the issue
of persons detained in relation to the events of March 2008 is not
fully resolved either.

With regard to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, the President stressed that
both Armenia and Azerbaijan have to abide by Parliamentary Assembly
resolutions, in particular Resolution 1416 of 2005. The Assembly, for
its part, has the duty to monitor how its recommendations are
implemented by member states. He said he would continue consultations
with the chairmen of the Armenian and Azeri delegations to PACE,
separately and jointly, including also a representative of the
opposition on each side, until a solution and a format are found which
are satisfactory for both sides.

During his visit, the President met with the President of the
Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, most political forces represented
in Parliament, the PACE delegation, the Human Rights Defender, the
National Commission for Radio and Television, NGOs, the
extra-parliamentary opposition and families of victims of the events
of 1-2 March 2008.