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PRESIDENT CRACKS DOWN ON VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN GOVERNMENT CIRCLES
by Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet
Dec 9 2010
NY
The recent resignation of Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglarian, followed by
the dismissal of Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian, both apparently in
connection with the beatings of lower-ranking government officials,
is fueling hope among civil society activists that the Armenian
government is no longer letting top officials act with impunity.
Beglarian's resignation on December 8, an unprecedented event in
Armenian domestic politics, was reportedly connected with the mayor's
alleged beating of a presidential office employee. The presidential
aide supposedly incurred Beglarian's displeasure during a performance
in Yerevan given by opera tenor Placido Domingo.
Beglarian was unable to attend the December 3 concert and sit next to
President Serzh Sargsyan; consequently, the mayor's wife and a friend
were asked not to occupy their seats next to Sargsyan. According to
Armenian government protocol, only senior officials can sit next to
the president during public events.
Over the weekend, media reports surfaced that, in response to
the request that his wife to change her seat, Mayor Beglarian
accosted a representative of the presidential protocol office after
the concert and assaulted him. The pro-opposition daily Haykakan
Zhamanak ("Armenian Times") reported that Beglarian had been given
a December 6 deadline to either apologize to the employee and the
entire presidential protocol office, or to resign his post as mayor.
In comments to EurasiaNet.org, presidential aide Armen Arzumanian
confirmed that the Haykakan Zhamanak story is "generally true."
"The president of the Republic of Armenia has repeatedly voiced his
steadfast stance against such actions," said Arzumanian. "Such behavior
is unacceptable and intolerable, especially when a state official is
concerned." Other presidential administration representatives cited an
October 2008 speech to parliament in which Sargsyan asserted that no
individual would escape punishment for using force to solve problems.
Whether or not criminal charges have been filed against Beglarian
is unknown.
Beglarian, 46, is a member of the governing Republican Party of
Armenia's Executive Council and, even prior to the early December
incident, had a reputation as a tough customer. His 2009 election as
Yerevan mayor was based on the results of a City Council vote, and
marked the first time the chief executive of the Armenian capital city
had not been appointed by the president. At the time, the Republican
Party hailed Beglarian's election, in which he defeated ex-President
Levon Ter-Petrosian, as "a step forward on the road to democracy."
Under Armenian election law, a special election must be held within
a month to select a new Yerevan mayor.
Already, the names of likely successors are being hotly debated.
Deputy Mayor Taron Margarian, son of the late Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian, is expected to be the government's candidate. Republican
Party spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov said that the governing party
will convene soon to endorse a candidate for the race.
Following on the heels of Beglarian's resignation, Sargsyan issued
a decree late on December 8 that dismissed Justice Minister Gevorg
Danielian for "improper performance of his official duties."
Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said on December 9 that Danielian,
another leading member of the governing party, had been dismissed for
failing to "publicly punish" the head of the Service for Mandatory
Execution of Judicial Acts, a ministry agency, Mihran Poghosian, for
an alleged assault on an agency employee, RFE/RL reported. Various
media outlets have alleged that Poghosian himself was responsible
for the attack, but no official comment has been made.
"The justice minister did not follow the rules. I think this is
unacceptable; I believe that the behavior of officials, especially
toward their subordinates, is critical," Sarkisian told a cabinet
meeting.
Many Armenians lauded the president's stance. "For many years,
the authorities have gained victory [at the polls] by brute force
and [election] falsifications, by involving criminal bosses; now
it's time they realize what force means," said Svetlana Minasian,
a 37-year-old mathematician.
Some Yerevan residents, such as Eduard Avanesian, a 55-year-old
construction worker, did not believe Beglarian's post-concert behavior
was wrong. If a government employee offended the mayor's wife,
Beglarian was justified in acting the way he did, Avanesian suggested.
"Still, I don't know whether this will change anything in our life
or not," he added, in reference to Beglarian's resignation.
Editor's note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.
From: A. Papazian
by Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet
Dec 9 2010
NY
The recent resignation of Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglarian, followed by
the dismissal of Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian, both apparently in
connection with the beatings of lower-ranking government officials,
is fueling hope among civil society activists that the Armenian
government is no longer letting top officials act with impunity.
Beglarian's resignation on December 8, an unprecedented event in
Armenian domestic politics, was reportedly connected with the mayor's
alleged beating of a presidential office employee. The presidential
aide supposedly incurred Beglarian's displeasure during a performance
in Yerevan given by opera tenor Placido Domingo.
Beglarian was unable to attend the December 3 concert and sit next to
President Serzh Sargsyan; consequently, the mayor's wife and a friend
were asked not to occupy their seats next to Sargsyan. According to
Armenian government protocol, only senior officials can sit next to
the president during public events.
Over the weekend, media reports surfaced that, in response to
the request that his wife to change her seat, Mayor Beglarian
accosted a representative of the presidential protocol office after
the concert and assaulted him. The pro-opposition daily Haykakan
Zhamanak ("Armenian Times") reported that Beglarian had been given
a December 6 deadline to either apologize to the employee and the
entire presidential protocol office, or to resign his post as mayor.
In comments to EurasiaNet.org, presidential aide Armen Arzumanian
confirmed that the Haykakan Zhamanak story is "generally true."
"The president of the Republic of Armenia has repeatedly voiced his
steadfast stance against such actions," said Arzumanian. "Such behavior
is unacceptable and intolerable, especially when a state official is
concerned." Other presidential administration representatives cited an
October 2008 speech to parliament in which Sargsyan asserted that no
individual would escape punishment for using force to solve problems.
Whether or not criminal charges have been filed against Beglarian
is unknown.
Beglarian, 46, is a member of the governing Republican Party of
Armenia's Executive Council and, even prior to the early December
incident, had a reputation as a tough customer. His 2009 election as
Yerevan mayor was based on the results of a City Council vote, and
marked the first time the chief executive of the Armenian capital city
had not been appointed by the president. At the time, the Republican
Party hailed Beglarian's election, in which he defeated ex-President
Levon Ter-Petrosian, as "a step forward on the road to democracy."
Under Armenian election law, a special election must be held within
a month to select a new Yerevan mayor.
Already, the names of likely successors are being hotly debated.
Deputy Mayor Taron Margarian, son of the late Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian, is expected to be the government's candidate. Republican
Party spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov said that the governing party
will convene soon to endorse a candidate for the race.
Following on the heels of Beglarian's resignation, Sargsyan issued
a decree late on December 8 that dismissed Justice Minister Gevorg
Danielian for "improper performance of his official duties."
Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said on December 9 that Danielian,
another leading member of the governing party, had been dismissed for
failing to "publicly punish" the head of the Service for Mandatory
Execution of Judicial Acts, a ministry agency, Mihran Poghosian, for
an alleged assault on an agency employee, RFE/RL reported. Various
media outlets have alleged that Poghosian himself was responsible
for the attack, but no official comment has been made.
"The justice minister did not follow the rules. I think this is
unacceptable; I believe that the behavior of officials, especially
toward their subordinates, is critical," Sarkisian told a cabinet
meeting.
Many Armenians lauded the president's stance. "For many years,
the authorities have gained victory [at the polls] by brute force
and [election] falsifications, by involving criminal bosses; now
it's time they realize what force means," said Svetlana Minasian,
a 37-year-old mathematician.
Some Yerevan residents, such as Eduard Avanesian, a 55-year-old
construction worker, did not believe Beglarian's post-concert behavior
was wrong. If a government employee offended the mayor's wife,
Beglarian was justified in acting the way he did, Avanesian suggested.
"Still, I don't know whether this will change anything in our life
or not," he added, in reference to Beglarian's resignation.
Editor's note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.
From: A. Papazian