YEREVAN. - Armenian MP from oppositional “Heritage” party, member of the Armenian delegation at Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Zaruhi Postanjyan shares PACE Co-Rapporteurs’ tough assessments of Armenia.

“I fully support their call to the Armenian authorities to be guided not only by legislative reforms, but practical steps for improving the democratic situation in the country,” she said in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

She agreed to the document’s point that the ongoing detention of certain persons for their role in the events of March 2008 and the lack of a proper inquiry into the causes of the 10 fatalities which occurred at that time “continue to poison the political environment in Armenia” and could well have “a negative impact on next year’s elections”. The MP also agreed that the current status quo with regard to reforms, combined with political polarisation and the deteriorating social and economic environment, “could potentially lead to renewed social unrest if unaddressed and not followed by genuinely democratic elections”.

“The Armenian authorities should arrive at clear conclusions and take adequate measures. Otherwise, the consequences of 2012 elections will be more disastrous than in 2008,” she stressed.

According to Postanjyan, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg also attended the meeting, who also criticized the situation in Armenia severely. "Hammarberg is also preparing a strong-worded report on Armenia and both documents will be considered at PACE autumn session. If the Armenian authorities fail to draw conclusions, it will be fraught with grave consequences for the country,” she emphasized.