Tweet
HOW TO CHEAT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Kima Yeghiazaryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Oct 2008
Armenia
To Participate And To Flee
After the decree, on setting up a fact-finding group, signed by Serge
Sargsyan on October 23, for the last five days the representatives
of Armenian National Congress have been waiting for the decision of
their leader, with bated breath and dumbly.
Strange as it may seem "heritage" party, which is not considered
the member of the congress, is also waiting for Levon Ter-Petrosyan's
decision, because they don't seem to hurry in expressing their position
on whether or not they are planning to participate in the works of
the fact-finding group.
Of course they reason it by saying that it is up to the administration
to take a decision on this issue, but it is evident that "Heritage"
is hanging back, waiting for Levon's decision. And only after his
decision will "Heritage" express its final stance.
Before that of course the representatives of both the congress and
"Heritage" party have already managed to express their objections
regarding certain points of the decree, not daring to utter a word
regarding their final decision.
But hardly will Ter-Petrosyan come to a decision so swiftly. Though
the terms mentioned in the decree will most probably make him take
a decision before November 4.
So, Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn't find a better place to discuss this
and many other issues, than "Yerablur", where he visited on "October
27". On his third visit to Panteon and Yerablur, from 1999, he managed
both to "mourn" the deaths of the victims and to spontaneously convene
an open-air press conference.
Whereas not only did he answer the various questions (beginning from
the establishment of the fact-finding group up to the possibility of
holding extraordinary demonstrations) of the journalists just near
the gravestones, but he also hold a spontaneous consultation with
the members of "Heritage" party. Such is their habit - to hold civil
functions on the day of the Genocide, to convene a press conference
in Yerablur, etc...
We thought the fact of convening this urgent press conference was
conditioned by publicizing his decision. But it turned out that there
was no decision. The leader of the revolutionaries was hesitating. The
fact that COE Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg
immediately responded to the initiative to set up a fact-finding group
and welcomed and appreciated the President's decision couldn't help
"sobering" Ter-Petrosyan. Especially because it was at his and his
companions' demand that the issue was included in the PACE resolution.
This time Ter-Petrosyan will have to take such a decision, which won't
be difficult to digest for the Council of Europe, because the latter
expects, only and only a positive answer from the revolutionary leader.
After boycotting the works of the NA Interim Committee, after ignoring
the demand-proposals made by the Council of Europe to start a dialogue
with the ruling power, if he behaves the same way this time he will
really appear in a very ridiculous situation. But still what pretext
can he find to justify his refusal to send his own representatives
to work in the fact-finding group? The day before Ter-Petrosyan
announced that two of their demands "have not been satisfied by the
ruling power". According to the decree the group subordinates to the
working interim committee, which means it is not independent. It is
not "transparent" as well, because the elucidation of the works is
strictly banned. Not considering the Human Rights Defender as a third
party, he complained that international experts are not involved
in the works of the group, because in his view the latter must be
the "third party". Whereas it is twice mentioned in the decree: "To
involve specialists in the fact-finding group, including international
experts."
As to the fact of the "subordination" - what else could they do?
Should they ignore the works implemented by the interim committee by
now, only to satisfy the revolutionaries? Or what "transparency" do
they speak about? Everyday overflow of the information? To give the
revolutionaries the chance to make a concert from this information
and reach the dissolution of the group?
With all this Levon Ter-Petrosyan has many times mentioned: "It's
ok. We can make use of the small chances that we possess, if we
participate in the works of the group." He has appeared between the
devil and the deep sea.
Not to appear in a shameful situation in front of the Council of
Europe, most probably he is looking for an "optimal" solution. It is
really illogical to oppose the proposal made by himself. Most probably
this time he will take a positive decision to show the Europeans that
they also want "to be helpful". This is the delusion that they are
going to create.
But it is not excluded that after some time he will call back his
representatives from the fact-finding group, with the whole "luggage"
of information, which the revolutionaries will swiftly spread all
over the country, thus trying to discredit the activity of the group.
Meanwhile by using the information at hand as a subject for
the demonstrations, they will try to liven up their dead
movement. Everything is possible from those who provoked "March 1".
Kima Yeghiazaryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Oct 2008
Armenia
To Participate And To Flee
After the decree, on setting up a fact-finding group, signed by Serge
Sargsyan on October 23, for the last five days the representatives
of Armenian National Congress have been waiting for the decision of
their leader, with bated breath and dumbly.
Strange as it may seem "heritage" party, which is not considered
the member of the congress, is also waiting for Levon Ter-Petrosyan's
decision, because they don't seem to hurry in expressing their position
on whether or not they are planning to participate in the works of
the fact-finding group.
Of course they reason it by saying that it is up to the administration
to take a decision on this issue, but it is evident that "Heritage"
is hanging back, waiting for Levon's decision. And only after his
decision will "Heritage" express its final stance.
Before that of course the representatives of both the congress and
"Heritage" party have already managed to express their objections
regarding certain points of the decree, not daring to utter a word
regarding their final decision.
But hardly will Ter-Petrosyan come to a decision so swiftly. Though
the terms mentioned in the decree will most probably make him take
a decision before November 4.
So, Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn't find a better place to discuss this
and many other issues, than "Yerablur", where he visited on "October
27". On his third visit to Panteon and Yerablur, from 1999, he managed
both to "mourn" the deaths of the victims and to spontaneously convene
an open-air press conference.
Whereas not only did he answer the various questions (beginning from
the establishment of the fact-finding group up to the possibility of
holding extraordinary demonstrations) of the journalists just near
the gravestones, but he also hold a spontaneous consultation with
the members of "Heritage" party. Such is their habit - to hold civil
functions on the day of the Genocide, to convene a press conference
in Yerablur, etc...
We thought the fact of convening this urgent press conference was
conditioned by publicizing his decision. But it turned out that there
was no decision. The leader of the revolutionaries was hesitating. The
fact that COE Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg
immediately responded to the initiative to set up a fact-finding group
and welcomed and appreciated the President's decision couldn't help
"sobering" Ter-Petrosyan. Especially because it was at his and his
companions' demand that the issue was included in the PACE resolution.
This time Ter-Petrosyan will have to take such a decision, which won't
be difficult to digest for the Council of Europe, because the latter
expects, only and only a positive answer from the revolutionary leader.
After boycotting the works of the NA Interim Committee, after ignoring
the demand-proposals made by the Council of Europe to start a dialogue
with the ruling power, if he behaves the same way this time he will
really appear in a very ridiculous situation. But still what pretext
can he find to justify his refusal to send his own representatives
to work in the fact-finding group? The day before Ter-Petrosyan
announced that two of their demands "have not been satisfied by the
ruling power". According to the decree the group subordinates to the
working interim committee, which means it is not independent. It is
not "transparent" as well, because the elucidation of the works is
strictly banned. Not considering the Human Rights Defender as a third
party, he complained that international experts are not involved
in the works of the group, because in his view the latter must be
the "third party". Whereas it is twice mentioned in the decree: "To
involve specialists in the fact-finding group, including international
experts."
As to the fact of the "subordination" - what else could they do?
Should they ignore the works implemented by the interim committee by
now, only to satisfy the revolutionaries? Or what "transparency" do
they speak about? Everyday overflow of the information? To give the
revolutionaries the chance to make a concert from this information
and reach the dissolution of the group?
With all this Levon Ter-Petrosyan has many times mentioned: "It's
ok. We can make use of the small chances that we possess, if we
participate in the works of the group." He has appeared between the
devil and the deep sea.
Not to appear in a shameful situation in front of the Council of
Europe, most probably he is looking for an "optimal" solution. It is
really illogical to oppose the proposal made by himself. Most probably
this time he will take a positive decision to show the Europeans that
they also want "to be helpful". This is the delusion that they are
going to create.
But it is not excluded that after some time he will call back his
representatives from the fact-finding group, with the whole "luggage"
of information, which the revolutionaries will swiftly spread all
over the country, thus trying to discredit the activity of the group.
Meanwhile by using the information at hand as a subject for
the demonstrations, they will try to liven up their dead
movement. Everything is possible from those who provoked "March 1".