Tweet
WILL THEY HAND OSKANIAN OVER?
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/09/29/114735/
September 29, 2012 13:24
Parliamentary immunity is a right thing. No matter how much citizens
protest against it, particularly before elections, no matter how
much they legitimately claim that semi-criminal businessmen long for
entering the parliament to guarantee their impunity, nonetheless, it
is a necessary democratic norm. The well-known legal principle applies
here - better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent
suffer. In this case, better that say Mher of Tokhmakh or General
Manvel have parliamentary immunity than Vartan Oskanian not have.
I didn't particularly like Vartan Oskanian's activities before his
becoming an oppositionist. If he was such a convinced democrat, why
didn't he speak out when elections were rigged, oppositionists were
sent to prison and abused, when A1+ was closed? Or why did he rush to
dismiss the diplomats who stated very mildly that one had to conduct
the 2008 election fairly? In the foreign policy, the "Meghri option"
seems to me just horrible - it is good that it was not realized. He
as a member of the team also bears responsibility for the March 1
slaughter and brutal persecution of the opposition.
But those are Mr. Oskanian's political sins, for which he is
accountable to the society and not to the law. They are cooking up a
case against him - and no one doubts that it is the case - not for
"official," but for subsequent opposition activities. So it is one
thing whether he has the moral right to talk or not to talk about
say democracy or fair elections. It is another thing that he will be
jailed for crimes he hasn't committed.
To imprison an MP, one needs the consent of his colleagues. Taking into
account the qualities of this and former convocations of the National
Assembly, it is quite possible. In 1998, the majority of MPs withdrew
Vano Siradeghyan's immunity with unrestrained joy. They knew quite
well what Robert Kocharyan would do with them and their businesses,
if they unexpectedly decided not to "hand over" Vano.
Moreover, they joined the officially instigated "anti-Vano" hysteria
not sparing eloquence, in order to curry favor with the then government
ofArmenia. By the way, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
members joined it too taking revenge on the Pan-Armenian National
Movement (PANM) that had persecuted them in the past. Now the
atmosphere is absolutely different - there is no fear of "being
punished"; there is no hysteria.
I think there will be no revenge of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC) members taken on the Kocharyan supporters who persecuted them.
Therefore, I hope that the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), the
ANC, the ARF and the Heritage Party will vote against withdrawing
Oskanian's immunity and there will be MPs among the Republicans who
are individuals and not representatives of an indistinct mass.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/09/29/114735/
September 29, 2012 13:24
Parliamentary immunity is a right thing. No matter how much citizens
protest against it, particularly before elections, no matter how
much they legitimately claim that semi-criminal businessmen long for
entering the parliament to guarantee their impunity, nonetheless, it
is a necessary democratic norm. The well-known legal principle applies
here - better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent
suffer. In this case, better that say Mher of Tokhmakh or General
Manvel have parliamentary immunity than Vartan Oskanian not have.
I didn't particularly like Vartan Oskanian's activities before his
becoming an oppositionist. If he was such a convinced democrat, why
didn't he speak out when elections were rigged, oppositionists were
sent to prison and abused, when A1+ was closed? Or why did he rush to
dismiss the diplomats who stated very mildly that one had to conduct
the 2008 election fairly? In the foreign policy, the "Meghri option"
seems to me just horrible - it is good that it was not realized. He
as a member of the team also bears responsibility for the March 1
slaughter and brutal persecution of the opposition.
But those are Mr. Oskanian's political sins, for which he is
accountable to the society and not to the law. They are cooking up a
case against him - and no one doubts that it is the case - not for
"official," but for subsequent opposition activities. So it is one
thing whether he has the moral right to talk or not to talk about
say democracy or fair elections. It is another thing that he will be
jailed for crimes he hasn't committed.
To imprison an MP, one needs the consent of his colleagues. Taking into
account the qualities of this and former convocations of the National
Assembly, it is quite possible. In 1998, the majority of MPs withdrew
Vano Siradeghyan's immunity with unrestrained joy. They knew quite
well what Robert Kocharyan would do with them and their businesses,
if they unexpectedly decided not to "hand over" Vano.
Moreover, they joined the officially instigated "anti-Vano" hysteria
not sparing eloquence, in order to curry favor with the then government
ofArmenia. By the way, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
members joined it too taking revenge on the Pan-Armenian National
Movement (PANM) that had persecuted them in the past. Now the
atmosphere is absolutely different - there is no fear of "being
punished"; there is no hysteria.
I think there will be no revenge of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC) members taken on the Kocharyan supporters who persecuted them.
Therefore, I hope that the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), the
ANC, the ARF and the Heritage Party will vote against withdrawing
Oskanian's immunity and there will be MPs among the Republicans who
are individuals and not representatives of an indistinct mass.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN