THE LAW BANNING DEMONSTRATIONS TO HAVE EFFECT IN SUMMER
A1+
[08:08 pm] 22 May, 2008
The latest amendments to the "Law on conducting meetings, marches,
demonstrations and rallies" do not meet the requirements of the PACE
Resolution 1609. The latter required immediate nullification of 17
March changes.
"Here we evidently deal with a case of unjust manipulation", declares
Stepan Safarian, member of the "Heritage" Party.
He notices that NA Speaker Tigran Torossian proposed a bill "drafted
without a discussion and consultation".
He also reminds that Torossian had spoken for the 17 March changes
considering them necessary, important, and grounded.
"During the discussion we did not yet have the experimental conclusions
of the Venice Commission and the OSCE ODIHR. That is, Torossian
introduced a bill and without inner approval sent it to the Venice
Commission. Then it was put into circulation and discussed at the
commission without the experts’ conclusion. And on Monday we were
informed about the "experts’ conclusion", complains Safarian.
"There was only the conclusion of an Irishwoman expert."
Safarian also noticed some "exciting" details in the proposals of
implementation of the PACE Resolution terms and he is seriously
worried about them.
"It was enlightened in the documents that the law will take effect
after the second reading, i.e. in September. So, during all summer
we shall have to obey the 17 March changes banning rallies and
demonstrations", notices Stepan Safarian.