GROWTH ‘MORE IMPORTANT FOR ARMENIA THAN RIGHTS’
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
April 9 2007
Ensuring Armenia’s continued economic growth is more important than
improving its government’s human rights record, Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisian indicated in a newspaper interview published on Monday.
"It is hard to talk about democratic and human rights when you need
to solve the social and economic needs of the population," Sarkisian
told the Financial Times. "We would not like to be a state stuck in
our transition."
Sarkisian was interviewed by the paper during a visit to Brussels
last week that coincided with his appointment as prime minister. He
was cited as saying that he will put economic development ahead of
human rights improvements.
Still, the new Armenian premier insisted that Yerevan will do its
best to ensure the freedom and fairness of next month’s parliamentary
elections in line with promises given to the West. "We have made
commitments to different programmes and we think compliance is in our
interest," he said. "We want to become part of the European family."
The Armenian opposition claims that the former defense minister is
one of the main architects of reported fraud that marred the previous
parliamentary and presidential elections held in the country.
Opposition leaders dismiss government pledges to ensure the proper
conduct of the May 12 vote.