PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
16 September 2008
Heritage MPs Welcome Opposition Members From the British Parliament
Yerevan–Today members the Heritage Party’s parliamentary faction met
with Professor Brian Brivati, the director of the John Smith Memorial
Trust of Great Britain, and Damian Green–the vice chairman of the
Trust’s board of trustees, vice president of the British parliament’s
Tory Reform Group and chairman of Parliamentary Mainstream. During the
meeting, the Heritage MPs and the visiting British delegation
discussed the role of parliamentary oppositions. "The main objective
of our meeting with the Armenian parliamentary opposition is to
exchange views concerning the opposition and its function," Green
noted.
In his turn, chairman Armen Martirosian of Heritage’s parliamentary
group underscored the importance of this meeting and expressed hope
that "the outlooks exchanged will benefit the expression of diverse
opinions and the institution of democracy and other essential
constituents in Armenia." Martirosian also introduced to the guests
the members of the Armenian National Assembly’s sole opposition
faction.
Secretary Stepan Safarian of the Heritage Party’s parliamentary group
spoke about the rights of the parliamentary opposition in Armenia and
the difficulties it faces. He underlined that substantial changes were
called for in the Armenian law on the "Regulations of National
Assembly" and that the law "On the Opposition" needed to be passed
which, according to Safarian, significantly will increase the
opposition’s balance in governance. Safarian also stated that he was
preparing the draft law "On the Parliamentary Opposition" and
therefore, and prior to introducing his law proposal to the National
Assembly, he welcomed a valuable exchange with the relevant and
exemplary British and European experience.
Stepan Safarian also pointed to the recent amendments which Armenia’s
parliamentary coalition made in the law on the "Regulations of
National Assembly." To remind, these amendments foresee the endowment
of certain rights to the opposition in the next National Assembly. But
Safarian explained that these amendments simply were aesthetic changes
which sought to deceive the Armenian and international body politic.
"Even this minimal function reserved for the parliamentary opposition
shows the extent and nature of the rights which the opposition could
cede to the ruling administration. More precisely, the authorities are
not prepared to share the responsibility with the opposition and to
find solutions which are in the interest of the country and democracy
alike," Safarian concluded.
In their turn, Brian Brivati and Damian Green spoke in depth about the
rights that are reserved for the opposition in the British parliament.
The guests also gave details with respect to the makeup, structure,
and role of the parliament of Great Britain. During the discussion,
secretary Vardan Khachatrian of Heritage’s executive board emphasized
that a democratic administration was a precondition for the absolute
function of the opposition and accordingly underlined that the truths
presented by the visiting British delegation could become realities in
Armenia solely in the case of having legitimate authorities in the
country.
The interlocutors also conveyed their willingness to continue the
exchange of knowledge and the mutual cooperation.
Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land.
Its central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10)
532.697, email at [email protected] or [email protected], and website
at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
