Ombudsman Still Hopes to Act as Mediator Between HAK and Armenian Authorities

RA Human RIghts Defender Karen Andreasyan considers that his proposal to act as mediator between the ruling authorities and the opposition is not yet exhausted. Andreasyan conveyed this news himself at a press conference in Yerevan today, in which he summed up his first 50 days in office.

Andreasyan thanked the Armenian National Congress (HAK) for not reacting to his proposal extremely negatively, noting that he is familiar with Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) party leader Aram Manukyan’s personal position, which allows him to once again put forth his specific proposal to the Armenian National Congress. (Note, in an earlier interview with News.am, Manukyan said that HAK would discuss the ombudsman’s proposal.)

The Armenian ombudsman believes that he will receive an official reply from HAK and he hopes that it will be positive.

As previously reported, the opposition bloc issued a statement yesterday in which it specifically said, “There is a need for neither an internal nor an external mediator in the format of direct dialogue between the authorities and the [Armenian National] Congress.”

Andreasyan also touched upon head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia parliamentary faction Galust Sahakyan’s statement that the ombudsman cannot be a mediator between the authorities and the opposition. According to the RA Human Rights Defender, he can prove otherwise and for this, it’s enough to simply read the RA Constitution and the RA Law on the Human Rights Defender.

In an earlier interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Armenia’s former Human Rights Defender Laris Alaverdyan said acting as a mediator between two political entities is not constitutionally prescribed as part of the RA Human Rights Defender’s work functions.

“I see no article in the law or any point provided by the Constitution which would give those powers so directly to the Human Rights Defender,” said Alaverdyan.