The European Union and OSCE stated that they would support the conduct of democratic elections inArmeniain 2012 and 2013 and a part of €1.7 million intended to be given for that purpose will be used to strengthen and geographically expand the Human Rights Defender’s office. Building 6 regional offices of the Human Rights Defender will also be financed.
Aravot.am asked Karen Andreasyan, the Human Rights Defender to go into detail about the framework of expected cooperation with EU and OSCE in the context of elections. “When that cooperation with the EU and OSCE Yerevan offices is clearer and our agreement on that is finally verified, certainly, we will present that cooperation to the public more detailed. In the meantime, let me say that we have wanted to establish regional offices for a long time, former ombudsmen have asked, convinced and dreamed of that for a long time. Now we have an opportunity to do that. If those agreements with EU and OSCE are really signed, certainly, regional offices, in particular, that are financed specifically in regard to elections will start working. They will be not only for responding to violation of people’s right to elect, but also violation of their any rights and for restoring them.”
Will those offices be temporary and work only during elections? In regard to this question, Karen Andreasyan said that the Human Rights Defender’s office had asked the government at the time to provide for some amount of money by this year’s budget to open a few offices in the regions, but they had been refused.
“Now, when we have that agreement, those offices will be financed for 19 months. My wish and expectation is that those offices that have been established at the expense of the international organizations will be financed by the Armenian state budget of the upcoming years and will operate not only for 19 months, but forever.”
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