15 April 2008, 13:30
PACE Deputies scarify John Prescott's report on Armenian election
The discussion of the report on the presidential election in Armenia presented by John Prescott, head of the PACE's monitoring group, to the spring session of the PACE was accompanied by critical and strong comments of some of the Deputies. This is reported by Radio Liberty from Strasbourg.
Thus, a PACE Deputy from Hungary Zholt Nemeth asked addressing John Prescott: "Do you think that the presidential election in Armenia passed, basically, according to the obligations taken by this country before the Council of Europe?"
"And do you know that as the result of the post-election events 9 persons were killed (note of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: on April 14, the number of victims of the events on March 1 in Yerevan reached 10 persons, the latest victim is Samvel Arutyunyan, 29, a resident of the Ararat Region, father of a six-month child, who was treated by doctors for more than one month), there are many political prisoners, the opposition is challenging the election outcomes and the legitimacy of the president-elect, and the freedom is restricted in the country?" Zholt Nemeth went on asking.
According to Mr Nemeth, the Council of Europe shall demand from the authorities of Armenia to conduct an independent investigation into the events on March 1, and should they fail to do it, the CE shall hold this investigation.
Marietta de Purbey Ludwin, a PACE Deputy from Sweden, who was a member of the PACE's observation mission in Armenia, has stated that she had never seen such plenty of violations like during the presidential election in Armenia on February 19.
According to the Swedish Deputy, she saw with her own eyes that at one of the polling stations the election outcomes were forged, and the votes cast for Levon Ter-Petrosyan were ascribed to Serzh Sarkisyan.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent
