Yesterday the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan invited the members of the working group to discuss the recommendations made by PACE “about the democratic institutions in Armenia” article 1609. The working group presented to the president the main directions and activities for the implementation of the article. All the members of the working group were present at the meeting discussion.
The President’s Press Service has provided detailed information about this. The working group presented the main principles directed to the role of the opposition in the political field. The president greeted the proposals and order to take appropriate measures to implement them. The president signified the adoption of legislative right matched for the opposition. The working group extended proposals to Sargsyan to guarantee implementation of the recommendation on the role and rights of the opposition. The leader of the Heritage faction of the National Assembly Raffi Hovhannisian also participated. With regard to the PACE resolution 1609 Sargsyan said: “I would like to note that the recommendations of the PACE resolution 1609 comply with my pre-election program, as well as the program and statements of the political coalition.” With regard to the implementation of the resolution, Sargsyan underlined that the Armenian government is not forced to implement them because they are in the interests of Armenia. “Generally, changes, reforms are our style of work.”
The president stated that the recommendations made by the PACE in the article 1609 feat with president’s pre-election campaign plans, they feat with the political coalition’s plans and their announcements. He added that Armenian authorities do follow those recommendations as they fall under our interests. “In general, reforms, this is how we do work,” said the president. “It is important that we be guided by criminal law and that there be no political decisions,” Sargsyan said in reference to dozens of supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan arrested in the wake of the vote. “No one who committed a grave crime must stay unpunished,” he added. “However, a person must not be sentenced for their political convictions and beliefs.” Sargsyan spoke as he chaired a meeting of a working group of senior law-enforcement officials and lawmakers tasked with ensuring his administration’s compliance with the April 17 resolution on Armenia adopted by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). One of the key demands contained in the resolution is the “urgent release of the persons detained on seemingly artificial and politically motivated charges.” Besides the rights vested in the opposition by the Armenian legislation, the proposals involve including opposition in the leaderships of the parliamentary committees, giving a primary role to the opposition in the question and answer sessions of the parliament, as well as parliamentary discussion on urgent issues brought up by the parliamentary opposition. A package bill is being prepared now. In his remarks released by the presidential press service, Sargsyan said he is committed to meeting the demands contained in the PACE resolution because he believes that they are “in Armenia’s interests.”
He specifically accepted the PACE call for the launch of an independent inquiry into the deadly unrest in Yerevan. With regard to another recommendation of the PACE resolution regarding the improvement of elections, it was reported that the speaker of parliament has set up a working group and the opposition outside the parliament was invited to join it. A package of reform of the Election Code is being prepared which will be sent for the expertise of the OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission before discussion at the Armenian parliament. Another point mentioned in the article about the election reforms was presented to the president. A working group has been formed by the NA chairman where all the political bodies received invitations to take part, the non-governmental bodies have also accepted the invitation. It was presented that a package of reforms is being drafted for the electoral code. The president recommended involving local experts in the discussion of those reforms and only after to send them to the Venice Committee. Sargsyan also endorsed the working group’s proposal to give more rights to the tiny opposition minority in the National Assembly and ensure greater “pluralism” in the news coverage of Armenian state television.
He further confirmed plans to set up a consultative “public council” comprising “various strata of society,” including opposition forces not represented in the parliament. “We stand for dialogue and want to solve problems through dialogue,” he said. The next package proposal concerns the freedom of the Public Television and Radio Board, as well as the public television, and pluralism on the public television. Sargsyan assigned them to include the opposition in that process as well. With regard to the point on the freedom of assembly, the working group reported that amendments were worked out which were studied by the corresponding European organizations, and the bill will be presented to the parliament on the upcoming days. The other point was about the committee of the TV and Radio, Public TV and Radio Council. It is planned to insert pluralism in the working style of the Public TV and Radio. The group presented another point of the article which considers to “Holding assemblies, demonstrations, marches and rallies”, they said that a project of changes has been drafted, which was sent to European correspondent bodies and soon it will be presented to the parliament. With regard to the PACE resolution point on the independence of the judicial system and public confidence in it, Sargsyan underlined public confidence in the judicial system as primary. Among the efforts to solve this problem, Sargsyan singled out the rise of salaries of the workers of courts, enhancing anti-corruption efforts, efforts for the improvement of qualification of judges.
In the meeting discussion where the points of the article 1609 were presented to the president the working group members talked about the court system reforms, March 1 events and the dialogue which should be held among the political bodies in Armenia. With regard to the PACE resolution 1605 recommendation regarding the rights of the people who were arrested with charges for mass disorders on March 1, Sargsyan said: “It is important to honor the Crime Code, no political decisions should be made. The people who committed crimes should be punished. No wrongdoers should get away with it. However, people should not be convicted for their thoughts, political dissent.” With regard to an open and constructive dialogue between different political forces Sargsyan said a best solution can be the creation of a Public Council. The Public Council is foreseen to include the representatives of both parliamentary forces and the forces which are outside the parliament. Soon a special working group will be set up to prepare the establishment of the Public Council. During the consultations the foreseen actions to implement the PACE resolution 1609 recommendation of an independent, transparent and objective investigation of the events of March 1 and their causes were presented. In this connection, it is foreseen to set up an ad hoc parliamentary committee. Sargsyan also endorsed the working group’s proposal to give more rights to the tiny opposition minority in the National Assembly and ensure greater “pluralism” in the news coverage of Armenian state television. He further confirmed plans to set up a consultative “public council” comprising “various strata of society,” including opposition forces not represented in the parliament. “We stand for dialogue and want to solve problems through dialogue,” he said. By the decree of the RA President soon a new ad hoc commission will be established to coordinate the activities of the public council. A working group has been formed by the NA chairman where all the political bodies received invitations to take part, the non-governmental bodies have also accepted the invitation. It was presented that a package of reforms is being drafted for the electoral code. The president recommended involving local experts in the discussion of those reforms and only after to send them to the Venice Committee. Sargsyan also endorsed the working group’s proposal to give more rights to the tiny opposition minority in the National Assembly and ensure greater “pluralism” in the news coverage of Armenian state television.
The leader of the Heritage faction Raffi Hovannisian addressed the consultation. With regard to the proposals of the working group, Raffi Hovannisian said his silence does not mean that he agrees to all the proposals, and informed the participants of the consultation that the faction he heads has also worked out a package proposal on the implementation of the PACE resolution 1609. He said it is important to depart from the emotive aspect and to make joint efforts for the international image, international perception of the Republic of Armenia, the president and the representatives of the Republic of Armenia. Sargsyan said the proposals of the working group are not a dogma, and the proposals of the Heritage faction may be discussed, runs the press release of the press office of the president. “Without that I don’t understand what a dialog is,” said Sargsyan.