What has been changed now, according to Paryur Hayrikyan
The local authorities approaches to the Venice Commission are unacceptable and contradictory for the NSDU leader Paruyr Hayrikyan. In the interview with “Aravot”, Mr. Hayrikyan noted, “Once, the local authorities were talking about the Venice Commission as if it was an upper instance. Then they encountered some controversy, and immediately they approach was changed, allegedly, who is the Venice Commission, we are not binding to accept its decisions.”
We were interested in his stance regarding the assessments of the Venice Commission, particularly, with regard to the approach of the Commission on the new draft Constitution, Articles 34 and 15, according to which, Articles 34 and 15 of the draft should not be interpreted as a ban on homosexual marriages. Paruyr Hayrikyan replied, “Honestly, I have looked at it in terms of democracy, and when I have seen that there are anti-democratic articles in the primary issue for the people, I did not keep reading. What does the Venice Commission suggest when our local authorities do not accept the corrections of the Commission about the democracy and are going to ignore them?”
To the question of whether he has got such an impression from the statements of the RPA, Mr. Hayrikyan replied, “It is sufficed for at least one person from the RPA to announce what the Venice Commission knows, we know our problems, it is already clear that they are going to ignore.” The Commission’s offer is acceptable for Paryur Hayrikyan – to eliminate the provision on the second round of elections between the majority number of votes collected parties and the alliances of the parties.
To our question of whether he does not see double standards in the Venice Commission’s assessments, Paruyr Hayrikyan replied, “They are not a solid structure but experts from different countries. On the other hand, they are constrained by the ideology and there is a delusion that they should not interfere a lot in the internal affairs of the country, every nation in the world has the right to determine its internal problems.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
