ARMENIA SUGGESTS LIMITATION OSCE ROLE IN ELECTION PROCESSES
Panorama.am
16:57 27/10/2007
A document has been circulated at the Russian-European Union summit
held these days in Lisbon, which introduces limitations of the OSCE
observers’ authority in elections. According to "Daily Telegraph",
the document was signed by Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The same source also published in its
pages the text of the proposed document. Head of the Minsk "Ecuum"
analytical center Sergey Musenko informed that this document was
signed already on October 5 in Dushanbe. In case the document is
accepted by the OSCE member states, instead of 400-600 observers
approximately 50 will be sent to CIS.
Besides, the document suggests that OSCE observers should abstain
from giving evaluations of the election results. The same document is
expected to be discussed on November 30 at the session of the foreign
ministers of the OSCE member states.
Today the representatives of the RA NA factions referred to this fact
during a briefing. The "Dashnaktsutyun" faction leader Hrair KARAPETYAN
is definitely for the OSCE observers to perform their mission in our
countries in the extended format. At the same time, he suggests that
representatives of all the member states of OSCE should be included in
the mission and submit their evaluations based on facts only. "We think
that it would be good to have their representatives in all …~E. s,
for them to see everything with their own eyes instead of rushing to a
marz upon getting a signal, and then say: you know, by the time we got
there, nothing like that was going on, but could have been, we heard
that it was. These processes should not be based on something heard
from others. Such conclusions are very important as they form opinion
about us in all international structures," added Hrair Karapetyan.
However, Avet ADONTS, member of the NA "Prosperous Armenia" faction,
was unaware of the existence of such a document. He noted, though,
that it is suggested that the OSCE observers’ mission be limited in
election processes.
Eduard SHARMAZANOV, member of the "Republican" faction, expressed an
opinion on the necessity of compliance of the actions of the Armenian
authorities with the national interests, so he is sure that there is
no issue of performers of observation mission in our country. "Double
standards are frequently applied in today’s world. It’s not correct
to speak here about the OSCE impartiality, but anyway, there are
international organizations, also in Armenia, whose impartiality
could be questioned, and who apply double standards," concluded
Eduard Sharmazanov.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
