PROBLEMS WON’T BE SOLVED VIA EXTRAORDINARY ELECTIONS
Lilit Poghosyan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 29, 2008
Armenia
Speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosyan convened a press
conference yesterday, to clarify certain false accentuations circulated
in the press about him.
The speaker firstly refuted the rumors saying that allegedly he is the
author of the amendments in the law on "Meetings, Rallies, Marches,
and Demonstrations". Moreover, that allegedly he did his best to have
this legislative initiative adopted. Whereas, from the beginning,
Tigran Torosyan has pointed out two fundamental issues linked with
point 6 partially restricting the freedom of the massive events, and
"spontaneous rallies".
Eventually those reservations were the bases of the memorandum signed
as a result of the April discussions with the experts of Venice
Commission and OSCE/ODIHR and "later they turned into the key topic
for the new amendments. In essence the amendments once proposed by me,
will be implemented.
That is why the "ugly and futile attempts" to represent the Speaker
of the Parliament as the champion of the draft law is simply pointless.
Moreover because still before the draft law was put to discussion, he
emphasized the importance of submitting the law to the consideration
of Venice Commission and in case of need review it and bring in
compliance with the European standards.
As regards the willful commentaries regarding his response to PACE
resolution 1609, "you shouldn’t consider it arrogant, but I’m not the
last person in Armenia who has made efforts to bring our legislation
in compliance with the European standards. A huge work has been done,
there are different proofs – like laws, constitutional amendments,
etc," the Speaker said and added that he considers the speculations
saying that according to T. Torosyan PACE resolutions are "not
important" as absurd, "pointless and vain". Which means they are of
mere consultative nature, not biding and will be put into operation
inasmuch as they derive from the interests of our country.
Touching upon the attempts to represent extraordinary parliamentary
elections as a key to dialogue, the speaker said: " What we really
need, to solve our problems, is a clear formation of the issues,
complete discussion of those issues and combination of powers. By
extraordinary elections neither the parties will be accomplished,
nor can we form the structures of civil society, and we will also
not manage to shift government-opposition relations on a proper plane
and solve the existing problems. This is my standpoint.
If we think that by speaking and holding elections we will solve or
propose solutions to those problems, then I must say that it will lead
us to a worst situation, because it is impossible to solve profound
issues via elections."
Besides that: "It was only 10 months back that we hold parliamentary
elections in Armenia. Those who had desire participated in the
elections.
Those who have been elected by the society are represented in the
parliament. If some people think that we must hold parliamentary
elections every year only because this or that political power is
not represented in the parliament then I must say that there is no
logic in it. It is not only the political powers represented in the
parliament that must work, extra-parliamentary powers should also
work. There is no other way. Holding new parliamentary elections is
not the right way."
What is the attitude of NA Speaker towards the idea to set an
independent "investigating" committee under the patronage of the
Human Rights’ Defender or the Parliament?
According to the speaker: "Armen Harutyunyan’s extraordinary speech
dotted the discussions on setting a committee headed by the Human
Rights’ Defender or his office, because the Defender clearly introduced
his viewpoints regarding the before mentioned issue. So there is no
need to do something new.
But he said it is possible to discuss the proposal on establishing
a temporary parliamentary committee, in case the future members and
the head of the committee "treat the work with great responsibility."