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HEAVYWEIGHT SUPPORT: OSKANIAN ENLISTS TSARUKYAN BACKING IN CONTINUING THINK TANK ROW
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/38783/civilitas_foundation_vartan_oskanian_salpi_ghazari an_gagik_tsarukyan
Politics | 18.06.12 | 11:04
Photolure
Gagik Tsarukyan (left), Vartan Oskanian
Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan met with
senior figure of his party Vartan Oskanian immediately after returning
to Armenia at the end of last week, Tsarukyan's press office said,
adding that the meeting focused on the latest developments around a
think tank formerly headed by Oskanian.
Ex-foreign minister Oskanian, who founded the Civilitas Foundation
after leaving his state post in 2008 and led it until February this
year before joining the PAP, reportedly briefed Tsarukyan on the
situation involving money laundering charges against the foundation.
A spokeswoman said the PAP leader stressed that he will take "all the
steps prescribed by law in order to protect the rights and interests
of his fellow party members."
The PAP chairman also reportedly appreciated the Civilitas Foundation's
"activities toward establishing democratic values and pluralism
in Armenia."
"And, if necessary, Gagik Tsarukyan expressed a readiness to also
invite a team of internationally-renowned lawyers and attorneys to
Armenia," the statement said.
Oskanian insists that the current criminal proceedings on money
laundering charges are a retribution for his hard-hitting criticism
of the government in the lead-up to the May 6 parliamentary elections.
Some political observers also view it as a warning to Oskanian,
who has not ruled out the possibility of making a presidential bid
in 2013 in several media interviews.
Government representatives deny any political implications behind
the criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, Civilitas Foundation Director Salpi Ghazarian last Friday
was summoned to the National Security Service (NSS) to testify as
a witness.
Ghazarian, however, refused to give testimony, claiming that given
the nature of the NSS statement that refers to "committed violations",
she was in a de-facto state of being a suspect rather than a witness
and, therefore, could refuse to testify.
Oskanian, too, had refused to testify after being twice summoned to
the NSS last week.
In her comments to media, Ghazarian insisted that the charges against
Civilitas, which she described as the most transparent foundation in
Armenia, were a "political order". But the foundation's representative
stopped short of naming names. In this regard, she brought up the
issue of CivilNet TV launched by Civilitas last September, implying
it could as well be a case of restricting freedom of speech. "But it
won't work," she concluded.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/38783/civilitas_foundation_vartan_oskanian_salpi_ghazari an_gagik_tsarukyan
Politics | 18.06.12 | 11:04
Photolure
Gagik Tsarukyan (left), Vartan Oskanian
Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan met with
senior figure of his party Vartan Oskanian immediately after returning
to Armenia at the end of last week, Tsarukyan's press office said,
adding that the meeting focused on the latest developments around a
think tank formerly headed by Oskanian.
Ex-foreign minister Oskanian, who founded the Civilitas Foundation
after leaving his state post in 2008 and led it until February this
year before joining the PAP, reportedly briefed Tsarukyan on the
situation involving money laundering charges against the foundation.
A spokeswoman said the PAP leader stressed that he will take "all the
steps prescribed by law in order to protect the rights and interests
of his fellow party members."
The PAP chairman also reportedly appreciated the Civilitas Foundation's
"activities toward establishing democratic values and pluralism
in Armenia."
"And, if necessary, Gagik Tsarukyan expressed a readiness to also
invite a team of internationally-renowned lawyers and attorneys to
Armenia," the statement said.
Oskanian insists that the current criminal proceedings on money
laundering charges are a retribution for his hard-hitting criticism
of the government in the lead-up to the May 6 parliamentary elections.
Some political observers also view it as a warning to Oskanian,
who has not ruled out the possibility of making a presidential bid
in 2013 in several media interviews.
Government representatives deny any political implications behind
the criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, Civilitas Foundation Director Salpi Ghazarian last Friday
was summoned to the National Security Service (NSS) to testify as
a witness.
Ghazarian, however, refused to give testimony, claiming that given
the nature of the NSS statement that refers to "committed violations",
she was in a de-facto state of being a suspect rather than a witness
and, therefore, could refuse to testify.
Oskanian, too, had refused to testify after being twice summoned to
the NSS last week.
In her comments to media, Ghazarian insisted that the charges against
Civilitas, which she described as the most transparent foundation in
Armenia, were a "political order". But the foundation's representative
stopped short of naming names. In this regard, she brought up the
issue of CivilNet TV launched by Civilitas last September, implying
it could as well be a case of restricting freedom of speech. "But it
won't work," she concluded.