Ombudsman is against street protests
Armenia's Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Karen Andreasyan does not believe that street protests are the best option in the fight against electoral fraud.
"Street life shows that it gives little benefit to various forces," Mr Andreasyan told journalists on Friday. .
He advises oppositional forces to compile reports on electoral fraud and appeal to court, suggesting it as the legal way of struggle.
At the same time, the Ombudsman says he is well aware of the public attitude towards courts. "Life has shown that our courts return unfair verdicts, and people do not trust them."
"If I were in the place of political forces I would use different methods, including peaceful demonstrations, marches and legal methods to make my complaints audible to the public and international organizations," he said.
Mr Andreasyan is going to have meetings with political forces running in the May 6 parliamentary elections though ‘they might not want to receive me.'
However, the Ombudsman stresses that it is neither political forces, nor their electoral headquarters that ensure free and fair elections; rather it is the country's president and prime minister who are responsible for elections.
"I expect the chief of the Armenian police, the chairman of the Central Election Commission, the prosecutor general and the National Commission on Television and Radio to contribute to the conduct of fair elections," he concluded.
