‘Initiative of the Four’ offered ways to overcome the crisis
17:20, July 30, 2016 | News, Other news
Human rights activists Avetik Ishkhanyan and Artur Sakunts, publicist Zaruhi Hovhannisyan and political scientist Stepan Danielyan set up the ‘Initiative of the Four’ (provisionally) and submitted for public discussion ways to overcome the current crisis. The paper drawn up by the group puts forward the 2 urgent steps below:
Urgent steps towards creating an atmosphere of trust:
- Release of political prisoners;
- Release of all the persons apprehended and detained since July 17;
- Provision of the persons on the Patrol and Guard Service Regiment premises with food and medical care;
- Open and effective investigation into the organized violence and illegal actions by the police;
- Resumed negotiations with the members of ‘Sasna Tsrer’ group;
- Comprehensive and impartial investigation into the murder of Colonel A. Vanoyan by involving international and independent public experts.
Urgent short-term steps
- Setting up an independent anti-corruption commission by involving representatives of the media and human rights organizations enjoying public trust and possessing skills in combating corruption;
- Change of the Government;
- Resignation of the Chief of Police and Head of the National Security Service;
- Restructuring of the Police, National Security Service and the State Revenues Committee as a Ministry.
The ‘Initiative of the Four’ also suggests adopting a new Electoral Code, dissolving the Central Election Commission and recruiting new staff members enjoying public trust, transparency in the negotiation process on Artsakh, disclosure of the documents available, dissolving the National Commission on Television and Radio and involving persons enjoying public trust.
Human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan believes that at the moment the Armenian people faces loss of statehood and there is a situation of polarization, suspiciousness and distrust in the Republic. He mentions that the wave of protests in the country has reached its peak; this situation may have a bad or a very bad outcome since it is most serious and cannot be compared with the previous ones. Therefore, public pressure should be exerted so that the theses put forward in this Paper are admitted and implemented.
One of the participants of the public debate suggested focusing on the work with the public and proposing to the public ways and methods of changing the situation and making progress rather than on drawing up papers and dissolving the Police and the National Security Service.
Political scientist Hayk Martirosyan confirmed that while the paper was a success, no one except the complaining party would listen to the proposals therein, “I can state that the upper ranks of the authorities share the ideology below: “if we make minor concessions, they will be viewed as a sign of weakness.” The upper ranks of the authorities can see the discontent, but consider it limited discontent as they have lost touch with reality”. He notes that no matter how many proposals are put forward, they will remain non-feasible unless the people exerts pressure on the authorities.