On December 5 Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou had meetings with the factions of the National Assembly. Bojana Urumova, Special Representative of the Council of Europe, Secretary General to Armenia also participated in the meetings.

Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur, during the meeting of the faction Heritage said that the goal of his visit is to get familiarized with the inner political situation of the country after the parliamentary and before the presidential elections. Mr. Stepan Safaryan presented the members of the faction, noted that their faction is interested in integration of Armenia to Europe. The members of the faction touched upon the inter political situation of the country, the pre-electoral activities, expressing concern related to the activity of judicial-legal system, freedom of speech, restriction on nonconformity, electoral, property rights and adopted and being in debate some laws and bills. The sides touched upon some incomprehensible speeches of observation mission of some international organizations by characterization of the members of factions. Hope was expressed that the speeches on the upcoming presidential elections will be unbiased and trustworthy.

Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou met with Mr. Mher Shahgeldyan, member of the faction Country of Law.

By the guests’ request Mr. Mher Shahgeldyan presented the political and legislative activity of the faction. In particular, core issues related to the presidential elections, campaign and voting were discussed. Mr. Shahgeldyan highlighted the elections to be held free and through equal competitive conditions, the access of mass media for the opposition political forces and the protection of their independence. He also highlighted the usage of all the mechanisms of excluding the riggings, during the presidential elections, which will provide to hold democratic elections. According to Mr. Shahgeldyan, the legitimate elections are very important for the internal state activity of the Republic of Armenia, for the citizens’ civil rights and strengthening of Armenia’s position in international instances.

Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou met with the members of ARF faction in the National Assembly.

The forthcoming presidential elections were the pivot of the meeting. The sides highlighted the holding of the presidential elections in compliance with the European standards. Touching upon the amendments of the Electoral Code in this context, Mr. Vahan Hovhannesyan, Vice President of the National Assembly, member of the faction said that the ARF faction introduced the package of proposals of the ARF faction, which is directed to make the elections more fair and transparent. From its proposals the ARF considers essential to put stamp in the voters’ passports to avoid the double voting, which was adopted by parliament. The other important proposal, which would enable available the electoral lists, was not passed. According to Mr. Vahan Hovhannesyan, without the adoption of that proposal the electoral system of Armenia can be considered as perfect. Touching upon the presidential elections Mr. Vahan Hovhannesyan considered necessary to carry out the pre-electoral fighting in the civilized field and highlighted the struggle not of individuals but of ideas among political approaches. Both sides highlighted the independence of mass media, especially during the pre-electoral period other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.

Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou also met with the members of Prosperous Armenia faction.

Mr. Georges Colombier said that their visit aims to get familiarized with the amendments of the Electoral Code and the pre-electoral process. He expressed hope that the elections of 2008 will be well carried out and Armenia will continue to go forward through democratic path. In order to hold fair and transparent elections he highlighted the provision of equal conditions of mass media for the candidates.

Mr. Aram Safaryan, secretary of the faction, presented the main program provisions of the faction. She stressed that they are aware of the resolutions on Armenia adopted by the Council of Europe and they find that the fulfillment of the undertaken responsibilities is a necessity, by which a path will be opened to European integration in the direction of participation to great extent. According to Mr. Safaryan, the Euro integration issues are the important provisions of their programme. It was noted that the parliamentary elections of May 12, 2007 complied with the European standards and in the result of those elections political new culture is created in Armenia and that there is a competition and struggle of ideology instead of hatred and enmity. The secretary of the faction expressed hope that the elections of 2008 will be also fair and transparent.

Ms. Naira Zohrabyan, member of the faction said that the PAP faction will protect the candidature of Mr. Serzh Sargsyan during the presidential elections of 2008. She called for tolerance and expressed hope that the journalists will not pass over the correction.

The representatives of RPA faction also met with Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou.

At the request of Mr. Colombier, the Armenian parliamentarians presented the amendments made in the Electoral Code and their approaches on forthcoming presidential elections.

According to Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, secretary of RPA faction, it is very important for them to win the representative of their political force in the elections, but the most important is to hold elections in compliance with European standards and the opinion of international community and Armenian citizens on those elections. The amendments made in the Electoral Code, which refer to put a stamp in the voter’s passport, clarification of the records, an opportunity of the election of the citizens who are registered at other places, the publicity and transparency of the elections tend to exclude the riggings.

According to Mrs. Hermineh Naghdalyan, the successful elections are also conditioned by the political will: they all well understand that the president elected by the people, and feeling the power of the people, the president can provide the future development of the country in democratic way.

Mr. Gagik Minasyan noted that the achievements of the previous years were conditioned by close coordinated work with the international structures, that assistance is also desirable during the pre-electoral period for the possible shortcomings to be corrected before the elections. Highlighting Mr. Minasian’s proposal Mr. Georges Colombier the opportunity of the observation mission conditioned by the term of the visit if sooner they will be able to plan that mission.

To the question of Mr. Georges Colombier why the proposal of RPA faction, on why not making the election registers open during the term from the first to second, Mr. David Haruryunyan answered that it would have been a breach to the present principles of the document of the Venice Commission on secret ballot and participating in the election. Mr. Hakob Hakobyan and Mr. Mkrtich Minasyan recorded that the presidential elections held in May showed that the people highlights the real promises, and today the RPA has a huge political capital and resoluteness to carry out the elections in compliance with European standards.

Mr. Georges Colombier, PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur and Committee Secretary Mrs. Despina Chatzivassiliou and Bojana Urumova, Special Representative of the Council of Europe, Secretary General to Armenia also met with Mr. Armen Rustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly, Mr. David Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly and Mr. Avet Adonts, Chairman of the Standing Committee on European Integration of the National Assembly.

Mr. Armen Rustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly, highlighted the delegation’s visit to Armenia in the view of the development of the country and further progress. He assured that the resolutions adopted by the PACE Monitoring Committee on execution of undertaken responsibilities are constantly under discussion in Armenia.

Mr. David Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly presented the guests the goal, principles, advantages and shortcomings of the bill on Operative Intelligence Activity. The creation of Operative Intelligence Activity in Armenia he considers as a serious progress.

The sides also touched upon the competence of instituting disciplinal proceeding in case of the made decisions by the European Court of the Justice Minister, the bill on Yerevan City, elections of the major of Yerevan city and other conceptual provisions.