“The authorities should also comply with the April 17 resolution by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) that demanded an independent investigation into the March 1 deadly clashes in Yerevan between riot police and Ter-Petrosyan supporters, release the prisoners, overcoming the gap between the government and society,” said the leader of the Heritage Party, NA MP Raffi Hovhannisian at yesterday’s news conference. In his opinion the government should implement the points which are mentioned in the PACE resolution. Hovhannisian underlined the necessity of legislative guarantees to involve the opposition in the government. “It is necessary to redistribute responsibility in the National Assembly, and I do not mean the Heritage or today. On the whole, including drafting of the agenda of the National Assembly, guaranteed participation in it, responsible positions in the committees and the leadership, and involvement of the opposition in decision making, essential obligations inside the National Assembly,” says Hovhannisian. He said the Heritage is waiting for the government to act, and if it is late, after May 10 the Heritage will come up with complex and definite proposals. I think that the Heritage will respond after May 10, will utter its expectations until June, the PACE summer session,” Hovhannisian says. Hovhannisian pledged to make further attempts to defuse Armenia’s post-election political crisis by mediating a dialogue between fellow opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan and President Serzh Sargsyan. Hovhannisian said earlier this week that he recently offered to arrange a face-to-face meeting between the two men and that it did not take place because of preconditions set by them. The reporters asked him whether in case of a proposal on assuming obligations the Heritage Party will consult the political pole that has emerged around Levon Ter-Petrosyan with which it cooperated in the pre-election and post-election period. “We keep our routes of communication open to everyone, and I think on the whole this is a necessity for shaping a modern political culture, especially in this situation. Therefore, of course, the routes of communication are open. It is not a matter of proposal of a post which we accept or reject. We are going to propose a program of action, reforms which will work not only in this parliament but also all the other parliaments in future, independent from who is government and who is opposition. This may prove difficult because everyone’s approach is highly emotive, polarized, determined, but we should find the internal clue not to confine assumption of responsibility to posts but be mindful of the content and include the entire opposition,” Hovhannisian says. In answer to the question of reporters whether the Heritage may resign in case the government makes no effort to implement the recommendations of the PACE resolution and improve the democratic institutions Raffi Hovhannisian said if they see a window to new Armenia, what is on the paper finally comes true, they will discuss their participation in assuming obligations both inside and outside the parliament. “And if we see that it is another imitation which will damage the democratic image and national interest of Armenia, we do not rule out a radical approach. Currently we think that the work should be done inside the parliament in all the national layers, domains,” Hovhannisian says. Under President Serzh Sargsyan’s decree a working group has been set up to investigate the March 1 events. At the news conference Hovhannisian wished the commission success hoping they will realize the seriousness of their mission. In reply to reporters’ question whether the commission will help the country return to the path for democracy, Raffi Hovhannisian said, “I think they are not supposed to solve problems but to present to the head of state a package of proposals which stem from the PACE resolution. I cannot express an opinion beforehand. I said there is some controversy because the resolution also targets at participants. Therefore, I do not think that the solution will be reached through this working group. Nevertheless Hovhannisian wished the commission success hoping they will realize the seriousness of their mission and thus pffer practical recommendations to the President.
