Farmanyan: investigation of opposition's clashes with the police is in deadlock

The work of the fact-finding group about clashes of the opposition with the police forces on March 1, 2008, in Yerevan has in fact failed. This was told to journalists by Samvel Farmanyan, press secretary of the President of Armenia, in his comments on the complicated situation in the group. He has expressed his regret that the group members nominated by various political forces failed to depart from their political benchmarks and work independently.

Mr Farmanyan has noted that formation of an independent fact-finding group on March 1, 2008, events was a manifestation of Serzh Sargsyan's political will and a result of fruitful cooperation with European structures.

According to his story, independence of group members was a prerequisite of its very existence. "The absence of independence has led the group to today's status and failed work," he has emphasized.

On June 2, Robert Avakyan, who is representing the ruling coalition in the group, stated his impossibility to work together with Andrannik Kocharyan, another group member nominated by the Armenian National Congress. "If you manage to bear A. Kocharyan for two hours, I'll restore my membership in the group," Avakyan said to journalists.

In response Mr Kocharyan has noted: "Certainly, it's hard to bear me, since I stick to the letter of the law. Actually, members of the coalition can't bear the facts relating the events on March 1. It's a real burden to bear them; therefore, Mr Avakyan quitted the group. Meanwhile, I and the Seda Safaryan, representative of the 'Heritage', continue our work, as we try not to conceal but disclose the truth about March 1 events." He has called his colleague come back and go on with the group.