| 16:30:06 | 23-12-2005 | Politics |

RA OMBUDSMAN IS SHOCKED BY THE “MILLENIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION” LETTER

The RA Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan was deeply impressed by the letter of the «Millennium Challenge Corporation» to the RA Government. «The country must not appear in a situation to allow others to treat him that way», the Ombudsman said noticing hints of order in the letter. “They give us the sum with one hand and show us with the other how to earn it”, she said. {BR}

HUNGER STRIKE IS NO GUARANTEE FOR SUCCESS

There are cases in Armenia when the citizens desperate by the injustice around them take the last measure – go on a hunger strike. Larissa Alaverdyan has her own point of view about this issue, “From the humanitarian point of view I am against hunger strikes”. She explains her point of view by the fact that first of all the hunger strike affects the health of the person. Besides, according to Larissa Alaverdyan, there is not a single precedent in the world when the person reached his aim by means of the hunger strike.

The head of the Helsinki Committee Avetiq Ishkhanyan did not agree with the last remark He reminded that Gandhi stopped the war between Pakistan and India by means of his hunger strike. They also mentioned that Sakharov too did the same thing. “All the same, I would not like the people to be elated by those facts”, the Ombudsman said and advised the residents of the Buzand street to choose the legislative way of struggle.

THE LAST REPORT OF THE OMBUDSMAN

The participants of the discussion of the activity of the RA Ombudsman tried to sum up what the RA first Ombudsman has done during her 6-year office. Before that Mrs. Alaverdyan is to submit her annual report about “The Activity of the Ombudsman and the Violations of Human Rights”. In comparison with the last report it will be full of examples of human rights violations. There will also be a reference to cultural and ecological issues and to the interests of consumers.

Larissa Alaverdyan complained that after the Constitutional Amendments there were very few people who applied to the Ombudsman. She also said that she doesn’t have enough data for her report yet; for example she does not know how many soldiers have died in the RA Armed Force in 2005. Before receiving official information the advocates present at the discussion informed her that 135 soldiers have died this year.

At the end of the discussion some of the representatives of the NGOs said they wanted Larissa Alaverdyan to continue in her post.