Prescott: Only CC to give conclusion on presidential elections in Armenia
YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. Only the Constitutional Court is the one to establish whether the presidential elections in Armenia were fair or not, the head of PACE temporary commission John Prescott (who observed the course of the election) said at his meeting with the Speaker of Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian.
The role of Prescott as CE official is to assist CE-member countries that found themselves in a difficult condition and to provide maximally democratic involvement in the political life of the country.
If mass demonstrations may destabilize situation, any government may take appropriate measures to correct it, Prescott said. He also pointed out that different comments are possible on events, but final conclusions should be provided by courts.
The CE is to provide an unbiased conclusion of the election process, such a conclusion has been given immediately after the elections with the final one to be given after the decree of the Constitutional Court, Prescott said.
According to him, serious progress has been recorded in terms of democratic institutions in the country. Yet, he stressed the lack of confidence toward activities of these institutions.
The ex-president of Armenia who submitted certain requirements to the Constitutional Court in political aspect should look at the outer world and say that he wants not war, but peace, Prescott said.
He reported his intention to mention positive steps to be made by the CE-member country to overcome the situation with stipulation that none of the sides feels itself defeated.
The Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian expressed readiness to discuss measures to improve confidence and tolerance both in Yerevan and, if required, in Strasburg pointing out that PACE may play quite a part in settling the situation.
Tuesday the Constitutional Court started considering the statements of appeal against the results of the presidential elections held in Armenia on February 19. The applications made by presidential contenders Levon Ter-Petrosian and Tigran Karapetian are being considered in joint proceedings.
Saturday morning the Police of Armenia broke up the rally of the opposition ex-president of Armenia Ter-Petrosian at the Square of Freedom in downtown Yerevan. After that, the demonstrators moved to the French Embassy near the Yerevan Municipality where clashes occurred with the Police and the OMON (emergency platoon).
According to the police report, in the evening the situation became uncontrolled and the crowd started looting the nearby private and state facilities. Eight people were killed and 131 injured in the clashes.
On March 1 Armenia’s President imposed a state of emergency on Yerevan, effective for 20 days, under item 6 paragraph 14 of Article 55, Armenia’s Constitution (threat to the country’s security and population). N.V. –0—
