Political analyst: Criminal groups and political parties do not differ under new law (video)
Political analyst Manvel Sargsyan says the bill on amending the Armenian Law on Political Parties which passed its first reading in the Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday, paves way for parties to be irresponsible. “It does not contain elementary things, for example it does not differentiate between a political party and a criminal grouping. People will understand later how dangerous it is to allow at least one person to be irresponsible in the political domain,” he said. Manvel Sargsyan does not accept the provision which allows the new party to be registered without mentioning the ideology it professed. “Any group which says that it is not going to overthrow the constitutional order with its activity is recognized as a party. That is to say, the authorities want everyone to announce that they are not going to overthrow them and then allow them to do whatever they want.” “A political party is not obliged to promise citizens that it will convene a congress twice a year and specify its plans, whereas developed legal countries are moving in the opposite direction. Political discourse and ideological discussions between the parties are encouraged in such societies,” the political analyst said in conclusion.
