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Rustamyan Warns Against `Strangling' Control Chamber's Independence
http://www.arfd.info/2013/07/03/rustamyan-warns-against-strangling-control-chambers-independence/
July 3, 2013
President Serj Sargsyan and ARF-D Parliamentary Faction Leader, Armen
Rustamyan (photo azatutyun.am 19/04/2013)
President Serj Sargsyan and ARF-D Parliamentary Faction Leader, Armen
Rustamyan (photo azatutyun.am 19/04/2013) (azatutyun.am RFE/RL)
Dashnak Leader Deplores Sarkisian Criticism Of Parliament Body
A leader of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) on Wednesday rejected President Serzh Sarkisian's
harsh criticism of a parliamentary oversight body that has alleged
serious misuse of public funds by his government.
Armen Rustamian warned the executive branch against `strangling' the
supposedly independent Audit Chamber [Control Chamber].
`We must keep in mind that the Audit Chamber is an independent body,'
he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). `We probably don't
understand what being an independent body means. It is illegal to
issue orders to independent bodies from one or another side.'
Rustamian was commenting on a weekend meeting of top state officials
that was chaired by Sarkisian. The meeting discussed a recent Audit
Chamber report that alleged millions of dollars worth of financial
losses in the administration of procurement contracts by various
government agencies. The Armenian government accused the chamber of
grossly inflating possible financial abuses for political purposes.
Sarkisian sided with the government during the meeting, saying that
the head of the chamber, Ishkhan Zakarian, overstepped his legal
powers by drawing far-reaching conclusions from the report. The
president was particularly enraged by Zakarian's claims that as much
as 70 percent of budgetary expenditure in Armenia may be misused or
wasted.
Rustamian, who leads Dashnaktsutyun's parliamentary faction, said
Sarkisian's remarks ran counter to a constitutional provision that
guarantees the chamber's independence from the executive branch. He
said they could discourage the parliamentary body from scrutinizing
the government's activities in the future.
`Today we have a serious problem with creating a mechanism of checks
and balances in the government system' said opposition leader. `We
must not strangle the Audit Chamber in a way that would keep people
from openly speaking about some things'.
http://www.arfd.info/2013/07/03/rustamyan-warns-against-strangling-control-chambers-independence/
July 3, 2013
President Serj Sargsyan and ARF-D Parliamentary Faction Leader, Armen
Rustamyan (photo azatutyun.am 19/04/2013)
President Serj Sargsyan and ARF-D Parliamentary Faction Leader, Armen
Rustamyan (photo azatutyun.am 19/04/2013) (azatutyun.am RFE/RL)
Dashnak Leader Deplores Sarkisian Criticism Of Parliament Body
A leader of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) on Wednesday rejected President Serzh Sarkisian's
harsh criticism of a parliamentary oversight body that has alleged
serious misuse of public funds by his government.
Armen Rustamian warned the executive branch against `strangling' the
supposedly independent Audit Chamber [Control Chamber].
`We must keep in mind that the Audit Chamber is an independent body,'
he told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). `We probably don't
understand what being an independent body means. It is illegal to
issue orders to independent bodies from one or another side.'
Rustamian was commenting on a weekend meeting of top state officials
that was chaired by Sarkisian. The meeting discussed a recent Audit
Chamber report that alleged millions of dollars worth of financial
losses in the administration of procurement contracts by various
government agencies. The Armenian government accused the chamber of
grossly inflating possible financial abuses for political purposes.
Sarkisian sided with the government during the meeting, saying that
the head of the chamber, Ishkhan Zakarian, overstepped his legal
powers by drawing far-reaching conclusions from the report. The
president was particularly enraged by Zakarian's claims that as much
as 70 percent of budgetary expenditure in Armenia may be misused or
wasted.
Rustamian, who leads Dashnaktsutyun's parliamentary faction, said
Sarkisian's remarks ran counter to a constitutional provision that
guarantees the chamber's independence from the executive branch. He
said they could discourage the parliamentary body from scrutinizing
the government's activities in the future.
`Today we have a serious problem with creating a mechanism of checks
and balances in the government system' said opposition leader. `We
must not strangle the Audit Chamber in a way that would keep people
from openly speaking about some things'.