YEREVAN. Nov 5 (Interfax) - The Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) issued recommendations for the organization's member states to tackle the destabilization of the socio-political situation from outside at a meeting on Tuesday.
The draft document contains suggestions to harmonize the legislation to fight the technology of color revolutions.
In accordance with the explanatory note to recommendations, the current situation is characterized by "attempts to replace the functions of national bodies of power and control with supranational international bodies, inciting interethnic and interreligious conflicts, and creating a destructive informational influence on the mass consciousness."
"Amid expanding political and economic integration, internal instability in one country can significantly influence the situation in the CSTO on the whole," the explanatory note said.
"External forces not only fund the creators of instability within a country but also employ the instruments of 'soft power' both inside the state and on the international arena," it said.
The influence is conveyed through various parties, non-governmental organizations, and trade unions and "is ever more frequently linked to the holding of protest rallies (including with the use of violence)," the note said.
The recommendations indicate that the legislation of the CSTO countries is imperfect in terms of countering external destructive influence; it contains differing approaches to the work of parties, non-governmental organizations, and the rules of holding rallies.
The PA proposes that particular attention be paid to the legislation on political parties, non-governmental associations, trade unions, and on the rules of holding mass events.
It also recommends optimizing the system of criminal and legal measures to fight a destructive influence on the social and political situation and protection of the constitutional system of the CSTO member states.
It proposes enabling the founding of parties only by citizens. It also suggests imposing a ban on parties depositing their funds in foreign banks, restricting foreign donations through non-governmental organizations, and introducing a rule that a party will be shut down if foreign funding of it is uncovered.
The PA recommends the introduction of administrative liability for interference by foreign citizens in electoral procedures.
It proposes that non-governmental organizations which are involved in political activities be forbidden from acquiring foreign funding.
The PA suggests determining in the legislation on rallies that those seeking the overthrow of the constitutional order are prohibited, as well as forbidding the holding of several rallies at one venue. It proposes describing clear obligations for organizers of mass events, including those for helping to ensure people's safety. It recommends introducing a rule banning the encouragement of people to attend rallies for remuneration and the deliberate blocking of roads.
It proposes introducing liability, including criminal, for violating the legislation.
The Armenian parliament said that these recommendations could not be applied to national laws. The Armenian side spelled out its stance in a letter which it sent to the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly.
"Following the thorough study and discussion on the draft of recommendations in the relevant committees of the National Assembly and agencies we came to conclusion that these recommendations cannot be applied and implemented in the Armenian legislation," the letter of the chief of the parliament's staff said.