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May /June 2003 – Mai /Juin 2003 Volume 12 - N° 4

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May /June 2003 – Mai /Juin 2003 Volume 12 - N° 4 May /June 2003 – Mai /Juin 2003 Volume 12 - N° 4 Covcas Bulletin Conflits et Droits de l’Homme au Caucase Publication mensuelle bilingue (Anglais/Français) Conflicts & Human Rights in the Caucasus A monthly and bilingual (English/French) publication CONTENTS / SOMMAIRE SUMMARY NOTES Government supporters have proposed that the president appoint 9 of the 11 members of the Central p 1 Summary notes ARMENIA Election Commission (CEC); and/or, that only parties that had garnered p 1-2 Résumés more than 7% of vote during the Irregularities and breaches seen 1999 elections be represented on p 2-22 Developping events during the February and March, the CEC. Opposition groups have stridently criticized both options. Revue de presse : 2003 presidential elections were largely repeated in the May 25th The debate on amendments to the p 2-6 Azerbaijan parliamentary elections. Prior to both elections, international election law has been unproductive. Azerbaidjan election monitoring organizations According to one option proposed expressed concern about by the government, CEC members p 6-11 Armenia electioneering efforts by would be appointed by a majority of Arménie participating political parties in the current parliament members while days leading up to the vote. The another option proposed by p 11-14 Georgia OSCE and Council of Europe opposition groups would have Georgie concluded that the irregularities and political parties appoint CEC fraud were not the result of technical members. Five opposition parties -- p 15 Daghestan difficulties but the lack of political will including the National Movement, to carry out free and fair elections. United Democrats, New Right, Daghestan Traditionalists Union and the While other election observers did cite improvements in the Geogian People's Party -- organized p 15-17 Abkhazia rd Parliamentary election, they noted the June 3 demonstration in front Abkhazie that the vote fell short of of the Parliament, which attracted international standards. several thousand people and called p 17 North Ossetia for the resignation of the current Ossetie du Nord Not surprisingly, parties aligned with CEC. the ruling regime emerged victorious p 17-18 South Ossetia in the elections, allowing Ossetie du Sud for the creation of a coalition RESUMES government, with the Republican p 18-20 Chechnya Party taking on six ministries, and Tchetchénie the Orinats Yerkir and Armenian Revolutionary Federation taking on ARMENIE p 20 South Russia three ministries each. The ministries of Defense, Foreign Russie du sud Affairs and Interior remained outside Les élections législatives du 25 mai of the coalition agreement, with the dernier ont répété dans l'ensemble p 20-22 Nagorno Karabakh Ministers appointed by President les défauts et manquements des Haut Karabagh Kocharian. élections présidentielles en février et mars 2003. p 22 Ingushetia Le verdict des organisations Ingouchie GEORGIA internationales qui ont assuré des missions d'observation dans les p 22 Javakhk deux cas avait tiré la sonnette Djavakhk Just six months prior to the d'alarme dans la période qui a parliamentary elections, election précédé le scrutin législatif p 22-23 Documents laws have become the subject of demandant un réajustement des discord between the Georgian ruling comportements des partis en lisse. parties and opposition. Les conclusions de l'OSCE et du p 23 Information Conseil de l'Europe ont souligné le Editeur : COVCAS CENTER FOR LAW & CONFLICT RESOLUTION - Hilda Tchoboïan Maison B. Albrecht ~14, place Grandclément ~ 69100 Villeurbanne ~ FRANCE Tél. : 33 (0)6 60 69 42 97 Fax : 33 (0)4 78 31 74 01 E-Mail [email protected] 2 Covcas Bulletin fait que les fraudes et irrégularités AZERBAIJAN / Council of Europe (PACE), Georges ne sont pas dues à des problèmes Clerfayt, urged the Azerbaijani techniques mais à l'absence d'une AZERBAIDJAN authorities on 6 May to release a volonté des autorités de procéder à group of 10 alleged political des élections justes et libres. prisoners, Interfax and ANS D'autres observateurs ont déclaré 05/02/03 – Member of reported. The Azerbaijani que des améliorations par rapport à coordination Council of government denies that any of the l'élection présidentielle étaient 10 are actually political prisoners. Caucasian Forum NGO calls visibles mais les performances Clerfayt studied a list of more than indignant Azeri human rights restaient bien de deçà des 300 detainees identified by standards requis par la communauté activist’s persecution - ArmInfo Azerbaijani human rights groups as internationale. political prisoners and selected 10 La victoire, sans surprise, des partis In her interview to the Karabakh cases in which to intervene. The proches du pouvoir en place a Radio, the member of the group includes former Defense permis la création d'un Caucasian Forum NGO Irina Minister Rakhim Gaziev and former gouvernement de coalition où le Grigoryan called indignant the Interior Minister Iskander Hamidov. Parti Républicain garde 6, et " persecution of the Azeri human Clerfayt was dispatched to Orinats Yerkir " et la Fédération rights activist Eldar Zeynalov, who Azerbaijani to inspect prison Révolutionnaire Arménienne " has recently participated in a facilities and living conditions for Dashnaktsutiun " 3 portefeuilles regional seminar of NGOs in political prisoners. Azerbaijan is chacun. Les ministères clés de la Stepanakert. formally committed, under the terms Défense, des Affaires Etrangères et According to ARMINFO's special of its Council of Europe de l'Intérieur restent en dehors de correspondent to Stepanakert, in her membership, to release any l'accord de Coalition et leur interview, Irina Grigoryan said that detainees judged the council to be ministres étaient nommés par le all the members of the Karabakh political prisoners. Président Kotcharian lui même. NGOs and, in particular, of the Caucasian Forum, are deeply 05/07/03 – Aliyev’s health concerned about this fact. The problems create political negative attitude to Eldar Zeynalov uncertainty in Azerbaijan – GEORGIE of several governmental Caucasus analyst – Azer organizations and even non- governmental circles of Azerbaijan Mamedov A six mois des élections parlementaires la loi électorale a été is not a news. Zeynalov's approach to such normal things as human (…/…) l'objet de discorde entre le pouvoir Aliyev's recent health problems have et l'opposition géorgiens; les projets factor and normal human relations are misinterpreted in Azerbaijan. already become Azerbaijan's du gouvernement proposant que 9 problems. The illness of the sole des 11 membres de la Commission This persecution was expected, but not in such scales. We worry about decision-maker has put the political Electorale Centrale soient nommés and economic development of the par le président, ou encore, que our colleague with whom we try to develop the civil principles in country on hold, leading to seuls les partis qui avaient récolté stagnation in many sectors of plus de 7 % des votes lors des different regions of the Caucasus. The democratic forces of Azerbaijan economy. There have been rumors élections de 1999 soient of foreign companies pulling out représentés à la CEC se sont should make the right decision and support their colleague, Grigoryan their financial resources from the heurtés à une vive opposition de la country.(…/…) part des formations adverses. said. Although it may be premature to Le débat sur les amendements de la foresee the President's demise and loi n'ont pas abouti. L'un présenté 05/05/03 – Presidential amnesty for Azerbaijani prisoners speculate of the consequences of par le gouvernement proposait que this event, some implications of the submitted to parliament - RFE/RL ce soit la majorité actuelle qui collapse are already emerging. The désigne les membres de la CEC, most palpable consequence has President Aliev on 3 May submitted l'opposition, quant à elle, demandait been an acceleration of latent a general amnesty to parliament for que les partis politiques en political processes. Internal several thousand prisoners, ANS désignent les membres. Cinq partis struggles within the ruling party have reported. The new amnesty would d'opposition, le Mouvement begun to intensify, raising the release nearly 9,000 inmates and National, Les Démocrates Unis, La possibility of a split between forces reduce the sentences for another nouvelle Droite, l'union des presently united mainly by vested 2,200 convicts. The draft amnesty, traditionalistes, et le parti du peuple interests in staying in power. At the which requires parliamentary de Géorgie ont appelé à une same time, opposition parties have approval, specifies several manifestation le 3 juin devant le jumpstarted their race for power, preconditions for eligibility, all of Parlement qui a réuni plusieurs thus creating a real danger for which mandate that beneficiaries milliers de personnes, demandant la increased political instability in the either be veterans, elderly, or have démission de l'actuelle CEC. country. The last two weeks have committed crimes as minors. highlighted the risks of relying on 05/07/03 – Pace official calls for one person as the guarantor of release of 10 alleged Azerbaijani stability both in Azerbaijan and in DEVELOPPING EVENTS / political prisoners - RFE/RL REVUE DE PRESSE general. Two specific issues are presently worth watching: one is the A leading member of the role of foreign powers, especially Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia and Iran, who may attempt 2 3 Covcas Bulletin to influence these processes
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