PARLIAMENT LIMITS RIGHT TO PROTEST IN ARMENIA
by Natalia Leshchenko
Global Insight
March 18, 2008
The Armenian parliament has passed in two readings amendments to the
law on public rallies and demonstrations that allows local authorities
to ban public protests if they have "reliable information" that they
would threaten public order and security. The term for consideration
of applications for public rallies was also extended from three to
five days. The organisers of the rallies have the right to appeal
against their events being banned, and the law-makers also pledged
to send the amended legislation to international experts to scrutinise.
Significance:Armenian is currently under a state of emergency that
is supposed to last at least until 20 March. This was imposed after
the clashes between the police and the public contesting the official
results of the 19 February presidential election. While the authorities
appeared shaky and vulnerable during the post-election protests,
they resorted to a police clampdown on 1 March that left at least
eight people dead, and have regained their grip over the country. The
opposition is dispersed and defeated, with nearly 100 arrests, and
the presidential position, if tarnished by violence and democracy
limitations, is back in the hands of president-elect Serzh Sargsyan.