President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Peter Schieder today called the Armenian authorities and opposition forces to calm the political climate in the country in the run-up to the second round of the presidential election. In the statement placed on the PACE site P.Schieder came for holding a free and fair second round. The statement emphasizes “it is the duty of the authorities to do their best to overcome tensions without resorting to disproportionate means to maintain public order.” Peter Schieder called the authorities to immediately release opposition campaigners arrested and the opposition to fully respect the constitutional and legal order of the country. He expressed concern about the shortcomings and irregularities in the first round reported by international observers. “If Armenia wants to live up to its democratic obligations as a member country of the Council of Europe, such irregularities should not be reproduced during the second round,” – P.Schieder stated. He emphasized the need to provide for higher transparency of the vote and more efficient report of the returns. “We expect a free and fair outcome of the presidential election, one which allows for the results to be accepted by all those concerned, thus helping to consolidate democratic stability in the country,” – Peter Schieder stated.
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