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PRESIDENT MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
http://asbarez.com/111394/president-must-be-held-accountable/
Thursday, July 11th, 2013
Serzh Sarkisian
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
Since his re-appointment for a second term, Armenia~Rs Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan has been~Wrightfully~Won the receiving end
of criticism from various political factions and individuals, among
them the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The main criticism of
Sargsyan has been his handling of Armenia~Rs economic and financial
policies that has brought wide-spread poverty and unemployment to
Armenia hastening rampant emigration from the country.
However, instead of analyzing and delineating his many shortcomings
in advancing Armenia~Rs economic policy, the focus of Sargsyan~Rs
misdeeds has become his alleged involvement in an ~Soff shore~T
investment scheme. Such a scandal is certainly more palatable for the
lay citizen and of course more intriguing with its salacious details
that include the involvement of the Primate of the Ararat Diocese
Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan as a partner in the ~Soff shore~T company.
On Wednesday, ARF Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian chose RFE/RL
(azatutyun.am) to announce that because of the ARF~Rs criticism and
opposition to his approach, the prime minister has declared ~Swar~T
on the ARF. Markarian said that by using media outlets under his
control the prime minster was spreading false claims of an alleged
revolt within the party that seeks to oust Markarian from the Bureau.
If Armenia were governed by a parliamentary system, the numerous
calls for the prime minister~Rs resignation would have been legitimate
(see recent developments in the Czech Republic). However, Armenia IS
governed by a presidential system which means the buck stops with the
president and no one else. Hence, if the prime minister has declared
war on an opposition faction so has the president.
What is more alarming is the revelation by Markarian that various
people in Armenia~Rs government control their OWN media outlets,
through which they advance their personal agendas.
Armenia~Rs political landscape has denigrated to a point that not only
a handful of oligarchs control most of the country~Rs national wealth,
but government officials entrusted to protect the citizens and the
Constitution~Wwhich calls for a free press among other tenets~Whave
created fiefdoms of sorts by controlling (buying and paying for)
the media.
Markarian~Rs assertion that the prime minister~Rs use of press
outlets under his dominion will only hurt Sargsyan is accurate in
that the ARF, in its 123 years of existence, has always addressed
its organizational issues and always has resolved them internally and
without outside intervention. Sargsyan~Rs ~Swar~T on the ARF will not
impede or deter ARF members from having a healthy discourse about the
party~Rs activities, direction or leadership nor will it serve as a
rallying cry to abandon any such discussion. A quick glance at its
history will reveal that the ARF has conducted its internal business
according to the organization~Rs needs~Wand by-laws~Wat times of even
greater threats to the party and to the nation.
The last 22 years have shown that Armenia~Rs government is controlled
by the ruling party locally, regionally and nationally. The ARF
has sounded that alarm, most recently during the three important
elections, that the ruling party candidates are using government
levers to win elections and impeding serious competition while stealing
the elections.
After the flawed presidential elections in February, the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia convened a conclave and hailed its chief,
Serzh Sarkisian, as the ruler of the party and the people of Armenia.
Sarkisian, in turn, appointed the same apparatchiks, including the
prime minister, to advance his policies not their own.
We have also seen that no government official can make a move without
the approval of 26 Baghramyan Street (the presidential residence). The
recent issues with the increase in gas and utility prices, which is
forcing Armenia to sell off its critical infrastructure to Russia is
nothing but a product of Serzh Sarkisian~Rs failed policies.
The President does not have carte blanche to continue his corrupt
agenda that has marred Armenia~Rs ability to advance and grow
economically, socially and politically. It was the president~Rs edict
that embroiled Armenia in the dangerous Armenia-Turkey protocols,
which continue to hang like the Sword of Damocles over Armenia.
Markarian~Rs revelations only heighten the imperative to identify the
real culprit in Armenia woes~WPresident Serzh Sarkisian. Only then can
the public emerge from the distracting haze of scandal and innuendo
and, as Markarian, himself, said, change the president in Armenia.
http://asbarez.com/111394/president-must-be-held-accountable/
Thursday, July 11th, 2013
Serzh Sarkisian
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
Since his re-appointment for a second term, Armenia~Rs Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan has been~Wrightfully~Won the receiving end
of criticism from various political factions and individuals, among
them the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The main criticism of
Sargsyan has been his handling of Armenia~Rs economic and financial
policies that has brought wide-spread poverty and unemployment to
Armenia hastening rampant emigration from the country.
However, instead of analyzing and delineating his many shortcomings
in advancing Armenia~Rs economic policy, the focus of Sargsyan~Rs
misdeeds has become his alleged involvement in an ~Soff shore~T
investment scheme. Such a scandal is certainly more palatable for the
lay citizen and of course more intriguing with its salacious details
that include the involvement of the Primate of the Ararat Diocese
Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan as a partner in the ~Soff shore~T company.
On Wednesday, ARF Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian chose RFE/RL
(azatutyun.am) to announce that because of the ARF~Rs criticism and
opposition to his approach, the prime minister has declared ~Swar~T
on the ARF. Markarian said that by using media outlets under his
control the prime minster was spreading false claims of an alleged
revolt within the party that seeks to oust Markarian from the Bureau.
If Armenia were governed by a parliamentary system, the numerous
calls for the prime minister~Rs resignation would have been legitimate
(see recent developments in the Czech Republic). However, Armenia IS
governed by a presidential system which means the buck stops with the
president and no one else. Hence, if the prime minister has declared
war on an opposition faction so has the president.
What is more alarming is the revelation by Markarian that various
people in Armenia~Rs government control their OWN media outlets,
through which they advance their personal agendas.
Armenia~Rs political landscape has denigrated to a point that not only
a handful of oligarchs control most of the country~Rs national wealth,
but government officials entrusted to protect the citizens and the
Constitution~Wwhich calls for a free press among other tenets~Whave
created fiefdoms of sorts by controlling (buying and paying for)
the media.
Markarian~Rs assertion that the prime minister~Rs use of press
outlets under his dominion will only hurt Sargsyan is accurate in
that the ARF, in its 123 years of existence, has always addressed
its organizational issues and always has resolved them internally and
without outside intervention. Sargsyan~Rs ~Swar~T on the ARF will not
impede or deter ARF members from having a healthy discourse about the
party~Rs activities, direction or leadership nor will it serve as a
rallying cry to abandon any such discussion. A quick glance at its
history will reveal that the ARF has conducted its internal business
according to the organization~Rs needs~Wand by-laws~Wat times of even
greater threats to the party and to the nation.
The last 22 years have shown that Armenia~Rs government is controlled
by the ruling party locally, regionally and nationally. The ARF
has sounded that alarm, most recently during the three important
elections, that the ruling party candidates are using government
levers to win elections and impeding serious competition while stealing
the elections.
After the flawed presidential elections in February, the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia convened a conclave and hailed its chief,
Serzh Sarkisian, as the ruler of the party and the people of Armenia.
Sarkisian, in turn, appointed the same apparatchiks, including the
prime minister, to advance his policies not their own.
We have also seen that no government official can make a move without
the approval of 26 Baghramyan Street (the presidential residence). The
recent issues with the increase in gas and utility prices, which is
forcing Armenia to sell off its critical infrastructure to Russia is
nothing but a product of Serzh Sarkisian~Rs failed policies.
The President does not have carte blanche to continue his corrupt
agenda that has marred Armenia~Rs ability to advance and grow
economically, socially and politically. It was the president~Rs edict
that embroiled Armenia in the dangerous Armenia-Turkey protocols,
which continue to hang like the Sword of Damocles over Armenia.
Markarian~Rs revelations only heighten the imperative to identify the
real culprit in Armenia woes~WPresident Serzh Sarkisian. Only then can
the public emerge from the distracting haze of scandal and innuendo
and, as Markarian, himself, said, change the president in Armenia.