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PACE To Demand Free Elections In Armenia

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  • PACE To Demand Free Elections In Armenia

    PACE TO DEMAND FREE ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
    By Emil Danielyan

    Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
    Dec 14 2006

    The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will likely
    demand that Armenia "at last" hold elections recognized as democratic
    by the international community when it meets for a regular session
    next month, it emerged on Thursday.

    The demand is contained in a draft resolution that was approved by
    the PACE's Monitoring Committee this week and is widely expected to
    adopted by the Strasbourg-based assembly without major amendments
    in late January. It stresses the "particular importance" of proper
    conduct of the next Armenian parliamentary and presidential elections
    due in early 2007 and 2008 respectively.

    "It is essential that the next ballot should at last comply with
    European standards for free and fair elections, as proof of Armenia's
    progress along the road to democracy and European integration,"
    reads the document posted on the PACE website. It deplores Yerevan's
    failure to ensure the freedom and fairness of the previous elections.

    The Monitoring Committee report urges the Armenian authorities to
    display the "political will" to prevent a repeat of serious fraud
    reported by local and Western observers in the past. "A clear message
    must be conveyed that in the next elections fraud will simply not be
    tolerated," it says.

    Still, the proposed resolution makes a largely positive assessment of
    the fulfilment of Armenia's Council of Europe membership obligations,
    singling out the passage of a raft of amendments to the Armenian
    constitution in a disputed November 2005 referendum. "The revised
    constitution is now consistent with European standards and principles
    of democracy and the rule of law and offers a new foundation for
    developing the democratic functioning of Armenia's institutions,"
    it says.

    The Monitoring Committee will specifically ask the PACE to welcome
    greater powers given to Armenia's parliament, cabinet of ministers,
    judiciary and local governments. It will also note the fact that
    Armenians are now able to challenge government decisions and laws in
    the Constitutional Court.

    Armenia's main opposition forces are highly skeptical about the
    positive impact of the Western-backed changes, saying that the
    administration of President Robert Kocharian has repeatedly violated
    the constitution to cling to power. They point to the authorities'
    handling of the constitutional referendum which was strongly criticized
    by Council of Europe observers.

    The draft PACE resolution acknowledges that the enacted amendments
    alone will not make Armenia a more democratic country. "Simply
    passing legislation is not enough to implement democratic reforms,"
    it says. "The Assembly calls on the Armenian authorities to take the
    necessary steps so that the law is effectively applied, which does
    not always appear to be the case at present."

    In particular, the resolution voices concern at widespread reports of
    police torture and the authorities' continuing grip on the Armenian
    electronic media. "The limited number of complaints lodged which result
    in members of the police being found guilty of abuse of authority
    or of exceeding their authority, as well as the greater number of
    allegations concerning which no complaint is lodged for fear of
    reprisals, continue to fuel the feeling that impunity prevails,"
    it says.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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