RPA spokesman Edward Sharmazanov says that the government of Armenia and president Serzh Sargsyan have made numerous efforts not to let the PACE deprive Armenia’s delegation of the voting right. “I think that the government, headed by the president, have done much not to let punishments take place. I don’t think that there is much possibility that Armenia may be deprived of the vote because I don’t see any serious grounds for that. The most important thing is that the president has created a very positive political situation in Armenia. Even Condoleezza Rice said that Armenia has entered an era of developing political reformations. As for the commission in charge of investigating the events of March 1, I can say that everyone sees that Samvel Nikoyan was really independent,” Sharmazanov said. In answer to a question whether the fact that the PACE has affirmed the fact that there are political prisoners in Armenia and urges to release them is not a sufficient ground for depriving Armenia of the voting right he said, “Parliamentary diplomacy is more independent than the official diplomacy, thus parliamentary diplomacy can express different interpretations but it does not mean that if they are using the term “political prisoners” it means that really there are political prisoners in Armenia. If Armenia is deprived of the vote, it will be bad because it has both reputation and other related interests connected with it. But meanwhile I don’t think that if they deprive us of the vote everything will be dark and it will be the end.”
