Further analysis of the PACE hearings yesterday.
The full text of the adopted resolution 1620 can be found here.THE PRESIDENT. – [...] We come to Amendment No. 1, tabled by Ms Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin, Mr Egidijus Vareikis, Mrs Danuta Jazłowiecka, Ms Anna Lilliehöök, Mr Göran Lindblad, Mrs Corien W.A. Jonker, which is in the draft resolution, paragraph 8, second and third sentence, to replace the words “January 2009” with the following words: “Autumn 2008”.
Ms de POURBAIX-LUNDIN (Sweden). – Mr President and dear colleagues, if you consider nothing else, please consider those political prisoners who have already been in prison for four months. Should they stay in prison for another six months? Support Amendment No. 1, and do not give the Armenian authorities until January 2009. Instead, the deadline should be autumn 2008, as we suggest.
THE PRESIDENT. – Does anyone wish to speak against the amendment? I call Mr Prescott.
Mr PRESCOTT (United Kingdom). – I think that the honourable lady knows that, given the circumstances in Armenia, we have set two timetables. One is for 2009, when all the legal changes will be made. We are waiting for the Venice Commission to act; we have to allow time for that. As for the timetable relating to the prisoners, we will ask the Human Rights Committee to visit, have a look and assess the situation. We have visited two or three times, and it is not easy to get to the truth. I oppose the amendments and I suggest that you adopt our recommendations.
THE PRESIDENT. – I understand that the committee is against.
The vote is open.
Amendment No. 1 is rejected.
Unzipped has an analysis of this resolution where he, too, is critical of Prescott's behavior. I wish there was a way to record the hearings and put it on YouTube. Prescott was a total ass (donkey) and his conduct was unfitting for a European parliamentarian.
[...] There are speculations that this is a result of some kind of behind the scenes deal between John Prescott, Council of Europe and Armenian authorities, to ensure Serj Sargsyan's administration compliance with the Resolution, while avoiding strongly worded open statements. The other possibility is that this is a consequence of John Prescott's continuing disastrous role as PACE rapporteur on the Armenian elections, in a new format. This guy should be kept away from anything related to democracy, human rights, as far as possible. If you doubt, ask anyone from the UK... [...]Unzipped's full post can be accessed here.
2 comments:
Prescott is a well-known SOB, he's been kicked out of the LAbor Party because of corruption.
But no one in Armenia seems to know that.
Why doesn't the opposition speak about this? They could have used this to get rid of that sucker and get someone normal to represent COE in Armenia.
Yes, Serhiy Holovaty seemed like a person who is committed to the values of liberty and democracy. He could have been a better candidate for this.
I don't know what the procedure for impeaching a chairman of a commission at PACE is. But on the other hand, if you try and fail, you lose your credibility.
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