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ARMENIAN FM'S DEMEANOR NOT THAT OF POLITICIAN - NEWSPAPER
news.am
October 03, 2012 | 07:12
YEREVAN. - Why is it that political thinking does not form in Armenia?
When the matter becomes personal, everyone becomes extremely cautious
and ordinary, Hraparak daily reports.
"Why is Armenia's former FM [and The Civilitas Foundation founder
and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan Oskanian], who is a diplomat
by profession, [who] has been in the authorities for a long time
and seen and experienced many things, behaves like a rank-and-file
citizen who is afraid to lose his own little welfare? Don't these
people know that political struggle assumes severe tribulations and
non-ordinary approach?
Yes, Vartan Oskanian's demeanor at the National Assembly deserved
humanly compassion. But this was not the demeanor of a politician,
a representative of a political force that considers itself an
opposition. [It seemed] The man is scared and has virtually regretted
having entered into politics.
In the meantime, a true politician perhaps would have 'become happy'
by this timely opportunity, which could have had a crucial importance
for his political career and become a beginning for a new life,"
Hraparak writes.
As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the National Assembly on
Tuesday voted-by 64 ballots for, six against, and with one invalid
vote-in favor of Prosecutor General's petition to include Vartan
Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit. A total of 71 MPs
participated in the voting.
To note, on May 25 the National Security Service (NSS) Department of
Investigation filed a criminal lawsuit on charges of money laundering
with respect to The Civilitas Foundation.
The NSS Press Center had informed that an investigation is underway
in connection with selling the 100-percent shares of the Huntsman
Building Products Company for around $2 million, but not informing
Armenia's tax authorities about this business deal; not using for
charitable purposes $1,135,000 of that amount envisioned for charity;
transferring this amount to the bank accounts opened under the names
of the Civilitas Foundation's founder Vartan Oskanian, and of the
Foundation's Board of Trustees member Tigran Karapetyan; and using
some of this amount for private purposes.
In addition, as per the NSSPressCenter, The Civilitas Foundation had
not presented a report on the $2 million allocated for charitable
purposes. In his turn, Vartan Oskanian considers the charges to be
politically motivated.
The Civilitas Foundation was founded in 2008 by Vartan Oskanian. After
joining Prosperous Armenia Party ahead of the May 6 parliamentary
elections, however, Oskanian gave up his post as the Foundation
Chairman.
news.am
October 03, 2012 | 07:12
YEREVAN. - Why is it that political thinking does not form in Armenia?
When the matter becomes personal, everyone becomes extremely cautious
and ordinary, Hraparak daily reports.
"Why is Armenia's former FM [and The Civilitas Foundation founder
and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan Oskanian], who is a diplomat
by profession, [who] has been in the authorities for a long time
and seen and experienced many things, behaves like a rank-and-file
citizen who is afraid to lose his own little welfare? Don't these
people know that political struggle assumes severe tribulations and
non-ordinary approach?
Yes, Vartan Oskanian's demeanor at the National Assembly deserved
humanly compassion. But this was not the demeanor of a politician,
a representative of a political force that considers itself an
opposition. [It seemed] The man is scared and has virtually regretted
having entered into politics.
In the meantime, a true politician perhaps would have 'become happy'
by this timely opportunity, which could have had a crucial importance
for his political career and become a beginning for a new life,"
Hraparak writes.
As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the National Assembly on
Tuesday voted-by 64 ballots for, six against, and with one invalid
vote-in favor of Prosecutor General's petition to include Vartan
Oskanian as a defendant in a criminal lawsuit. A total of 71 MPs
participated in the voting.
To note, on May 25 the National Security Service (NSS) Department of
Investigation filed a criminal lawsuit on charges of money laundering
with respect to The Civilitas Foundation.
The NSS Press Center had informed that an investigation is underway
in connection with selling the 100-percent shares of the Huntsman
Building Products Company for around $2 million, but not informing
Armenia's tax authorities about this business deal; not using for
charitable purposes $1,135,000 of that amount envisioned for charity;
transferring this amount to the bank accounts opened under the names
of the Civilitas Foundation's founder Vartan Oskanian, and of the
Foundation's Board of Trustees member Tigran Karapetyan; and using
some of this amount for private purposes.
In addition, as per the NSSPressCenter, The Civilitas Foundation had
not presented a report on the $2 million allocated for charitable
purposes. In his turn, Vartan Oskanian considers the charges to be
politically motivated.
The Civilitas Foundation was founded in 2008 by Vartan Oskanian. After
joining Prosperous Armenia Party ahead of the May 6 parliamentary
elections, however, Oskanian gave up his post as the Foundation
Chairman.