March 1 events committee to be formed in Armenian parliament

PanARMENIAN.Net - An ad hoc committee for March 1, 2008 tragic events will be formed in Armenian parliament.

The decision was taken at a meeting of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. The issue has been included on the agenda of parliament’s four-day session.

The committee will be formed, based on the principle of the creation of ethics committee. It will comprise seven members: 2 representing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), 3 from opposition parties, 1 from Prosperous Armenia party and 1 from Orinats Yerkir party.

Independent MP Edmon Marukyan also expressed readiness to join the committee.

The offer on the formation of the committee was issued by representatives of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) bloc MPs.

From February 20, 2008, Armenian opposition led by the first president Levon Ter-Petrossian, who ran for presidency in 2008, but was not elected, held rallies in the central part of Yerevan, protesting against the election results.

The protests resulted in unrest and clashes between the police and rally participants on March 1-2. According to the Office of RA Prosecutor General, 10 people were killed, 200 injured, and over 100 arrested.