Buquicchio's 'red card' to Armenian authorities: 'hushing up' becomes impossible

Armen Kareyan

Being political at their bottom and devoid of any convincing legal argument, the processes surrounding the Constitutional Court and personally its chairman, Hrayr Tovmasyan, are unwittingly presented to the society as necessary measures towards establishing democracy in Armenia. It is very often democracy itself - as the traditionally considered pillar of the world – invoked by the corresponding [personalities] to substantiate the unconcealed persecution against Tovmasyan. And that indeed has already crossed numerous red lines.

The statement released by President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio, as well as his interview with Shantnews.am have revealed the true essence behind the disgraceful processes in Armenia, pointing out to all the threats inevitably subordinated to the authorities' totalitarian ambitions.

Buquicchio, in particular, expressed his deep concern over the openly manifested antagonism between the Government and Parliament on the one hand and the Constitutional Court on the other, noting that all the heads of state institutions and offices holders in a democratic country must respect mutual competences and obligations, as well as accept, and demonstrate respect for, requirements by other institutions.  

The Venice Commission's message to the Armenian authorities is unequivocal and, by and large, appears to be a red card for the authorities in terms of sobering them up and restraining their totalitarian ambitions to return processes to the legal domain (as by stepping aside, they will inevitably confront the threat of being misunderstood by the world with all the inevitably interrelated political implications).  

The main issue after Buquicchio's messages is probably linked to the concern over the authorities' possible reaction. And the authorities – judging by their reactions so far – are not inclined to draw the right conclusions from the signals received, convinced that Buquicchio's statement does not contain any section at all bearing evidence to their political persecutions .

Notwithstanding the interpretations though – of the statement or statements by the Venice Commission's president – they undeniably deprive the authorities of the resource to legitimize their own actions, revealing the deep abyss between wbat is actually going on in Armenia and ″democracy″ in essence. If not eliminated in time, that abyss will be the hole for the authorities, in which they will inevitably find themselves sometime in the near future.