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Heritage MPs Welcome Opposition Members From the British Parliament

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  • Heritage MPs Welcome Opposition Members From the British Parliament

    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: www.heritage.am



    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 www.heritage.am

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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