Tweet
JOURNALISTS WANT TO SEE BLOOD AND THUNDER?
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2012/04/12/nicolson
10:44 pm | April 12, 2012 | Politics
The members of the PACE observation mission, who are in Armenia for a
short-term observation on April 11-12, hope to see perfect elections
in Armenia on May 6.
During today's press conference, head of the delegation, Baroness Emma
Nickolson (UK) mentioned that during the visit she had noticed "a very
serious and active political debate" in Armenia. Talking about the
qualities of the observation mission, she assured that the 28-member
PACE mission includes competent and experienced people who know the
international standards for democratic elections and who will reflect
upon the positive developments and the flaws during the elections.
Upon the journalists' request, the Baroness touched upon the several
violations in the voters' lists and informed that she had had a nearly
40-minute meeting with the Head of the Department of Passports and
Visas of the RA Police.
"We can record that this institution is actively working on making
its activities as transparent as possible," mentioned the Baroness.
To make the elections more transparent, the Baroness also attached
importance to the role of the nearly 16,000 local observers and the
observers from the CIS countries and advised "treating the European
observers' conclusion more seriously".
"In addition to that, if the opposition brings concrete facts of
electoral violations, the opposition will be responsible for proceeding
with them. The opposition can't make the international observers
totally responsible. This is first and foremost the responsibility
of the nation," mentioned the head of the PACE observation mission.
When asked how this year's PACE observation mission would take into
account the precedent in 2008 when the mission's speedy positive
conclusion on the presidential elections "tightened the belt"
of the authorities, which responded to the opposition's peaceful
demonstrations with violence and murders a couple of days later,
Nickolson mentioned:
"The observers rush to express their views after the elections and
return to their homes. Sometimes that opinion is very speedy. The
international observers' positive conclusions on the elections are
usually boring for journalists, who sometimes try to see blood,
thunder and human body parts," said the Baroness, laughingly.
The Baroness mentioned the importance of the foreign diplomatic
missions accredited to Armenia in terms of ensuring transparency.
German Ambassador to Armenia Hans Jokhen-Schmidt, who was also present
at the meeting, referred to the Baroness's observation and noted that
the diplomatic missions weren't competent to implement the observation
missions during the elections. "Of course, we will follow up on the
process, but implementing an observation mission is not our job. Here
there could be a clash of interests," mentioned Ambassador Schmidt and
refused to comment on the ideas that the head of the PACE observation
mission had expressed.
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2012/04/12/nicolson
10:44 pm | April 12, 2012 | Politics
The members of the PACE observation mission, who are in Armenia for a
short-term observation on April 11-12, hope to see perfect elections
in Armenia on May 6.
During today's press conference, head of the delegation, Baroness Emma
Nickolson (UK) mentioned that during the visit she had noticed "a very
serious and active political debate" in Armenia. Talking about the
qualities of the observation mission, she assured that the 28-member
PACE mission includes competent and experienced people who know the
international standards for democratic elections and who will reflect
upon the positive developments and the flaws during the elections.
Upon the journalists' request, the Baroness touched upon the several
violations in the voters' lists and informed that she had had a nearly
40-minute meeting with the Head of the Department of Passports and
Visas of the RA Police.
"We can record that this institution is actively working on making
its activities as transparent as possible," mentioned the Baroness.
To make the elections more transparent, the Baroness also attached
importance to the role of the nearly 16,000 local observers and the
observers from the CIS countries and advised "treating the European
observers' conclusion more seriously".
"In addition to that, if the opposition brings concrete facts of
electoral violations, the opposition will be responsible for proceeding
with them. The opposition can't make the international observers
totally responsible. This is first and foremost the responsibility
of the nation," mentioned the head of the PACE observation mission.
When asked how this year's PACE observation mission would take into
account the precedent in 2008 when the mission's speedy positive
conclusion on the presidential elections "tightened the belt"
of the authorities, which responded to the opposition's peaceful
demonstrations with violence and murders a couple of days later,
Nickolson mentioned:
"The observers rush to express their views after the elections and
return to their homes. Sometimes that opinion is very speedy. The
international observers' positive conclusions on the elections are
usually boring for journalists, who sometimes try to see blood,
thunder and human body parts," said the Baroness, laughingly.
The Baroness mentioned the importance of the foreign diplomatic
missions accredited to Armenia in terms of ensuring transparency.
German Ambassador to Armenia Hans Jokhen-Schmidt, who was also present
at the meeting, referred to the Baroness's observation and noted that
the diplomatic missions weren't competent to implement the observation
missions during the elections. "Of course, we will follow up on the
process, but implementing an observation mission is not our job. Here
there could be a clash of interests," mentioned Ambassador Schmidt and
refused to comment on the ideas that the head of the PACE observation
mission had expressed.