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RULING PARTY CAUTIOUS IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS AS SYUNIK GOVERNOR 'TEMPORARILY' RESIGNS OVER DEADLY SHOOTING
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/46593/armenia_governor_syunik_region_surik_khachatryan_r esignation
POLITICS | 04.06.13 | 10:08
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
E-mail to friend | (0) Comments | Print |
Representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) have
been careful to avoid making any political or legal assessments of
the weekend shooting in Syunik in which Governor Surik Khachatryan's
son and bodyguards were involved.
Former mayoral candidate in Goris Avo Budaghyan was killed and his
brother Artak, a commander at one of Karabakh's military units, was
seriously wounded in an apparent gunfight outside Khachatryan's house
at around midnight on June 1. Khachatryan's bodyguard was also wounded
in the incident. Khachatryan's son Tigran and another bodyguard of
the governor were arrested over the incident.
Governor Khachatryan issued a public statement on Monday, saying
that he regretted the incident and having been unable to prevent it
and announcing that until the end of the investigation he will not be
performing his functions as regional governor. Khachatryan said he had
got permission to temporary leave his office from the superior body.
Meanwhile, the Armenian opposition, which has long criticized
Khachatryan for his conduct, resumed criticism of the government,
considering that the latest deadly incident was the result of the
atmosphere of impunity established in the country.
The case in the town of Goris gave rise to fresh debate in Armenia
about unruly officials and the presence of 'oligarchs' in government.
In answer to media requests to comment on the situation, presidential
spokesman Arman Saghatelyan said: "The President has repeatedly stated
about the inadmissibility of solving problems from the position of
strength and the indisputability of the principle of equality of all
before the law, and today the President is confident that a full,
impartial and comprehensive investigation will be ensured in this
case and adequate legal assessments will be given to the activities
of all persons that have any concern to it."
RPA parliamentary leader Galust Sahakyan told media that Khachatryan
"carried out quite serious activities and qualitative assessments
should not be made about him." But he added: "Those who commit crime
are condemned. If someone did something good, it does not mean that
he should be forgiven for a crime."
The governor of Syunik is considered to be one of the odious figures
in Armenian politics. His name figured in several scandals in Armenia
in recent years. In 2011, he publicly slapped businesswoman Silva
Hambartsumyan in the lobby of a Yerevan hotel, which turned into a big
scandal and raised questions about the violent conduct of officials
in Armenia.
Khachatryan's name also figured in WikiLeaks revelations wherein a
cable said that the Syunik governor in 2008 beat an 18-year-old man.
Earlier this year, Khachatryan was mentioned in the media in
connection with the infamous intent to lease vast alpine pastures
of Syunik to Iranian sheep breeders, which elicited a strong public
reaction. Khachatryan was also in a "war of words" with former
opposition presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian, who accused
him of rigging the February vote in Syunik in favor of President
Serzh Sargsyan.
Opposition Armenian National Congress party member Vahagn Khachatryan
told ArmeniaNow that if we lived by other standards, there would be
serious political consequences for any party with which an incident
like the Goris shooting is associated with, but in Armenia, he said,
no political implications are expected.
"After the 2013 presidential election I thought that the government
would see that the socio-economic situation in the country is very
tense and would take some steps, but it failed and then came the
disgraceful municipal elections in Yerevan, during which the thugs
ruled and told the government representatives what to do. It means
that there is no government as it is, and this is the result," said
Khachatryan, commenting on the deadly shooting in Goris.
Opposition Heritage party deputy chairman Armen Martirosyan said that
this is not the first time when high-ranking officials are involved
in such cases in Armenia, and so far no one has adequately responded
to that. Naturally, he said, such cases will recur.
Martirosyan said that Khachatryan was acting in an atmosphere
of impunity, as since 1992 he has been ensuring the government's
reproduction in the Syunik province.
"In Armenia punishment can only be sanctioned by the president and if
the president wants to punish someone, he does so, but if he still
expects certain services from the one to be punished, he doesn't,"
said Martirosyan.
Late on Monday media in Armenia already began circulating the names of
possible successors of Khachatryan as governor of Syunik. According
to the press, among possible candidates is also General Vardan
Avetisyan, who is currently head of the Information and Public
Relations Department at Armenia's Ministry of Defense.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/politics/46593/armenia_governor_syunik_region_surik_khachatryan_r esignation
POLITICS | 04.06.13 | 10:08
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
E-mail to friend | (0) Comments | Print |
Representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) have
been careful to avoid making any political or legal assessments of
the weekend shooting in Syunik in which Governor Surik Khachatryan's
son and bodyguards were involved.
Former mayoral candidate in Goris Avo Budaghyan was killed and his
brother Artak, a commander at one of Karabakh's military units, was
seriously wounded in an apparent gunfight outside Khachatryan's house
at around midnight on June 1. Khachatryan's bodyguard was also wounded
in the incident. Khachatryan's son Tigran and another bodyguard of
the governor were arrested over the incident.
Governor Khachatryan issued a public statement on Monday, saying
that he regretted the incident and having been unable to prevent it
and announcing that until the end of the investigation he will not be
performing his functions as regional governor. Khachatryan said he had
got permission to temporary leave his office from the superior body.
Meanwhile, the Armenian opposition, which has long criticized
Khachatryan for his conduct, resumed criticism of the government,
considering that the latest deadly incident was the result of the
atmosphere of impunity established in the country.
The case in the town of Goris gave rise to fresh debate in Armenia
about unruly officials and the presence of 'oligarchs' in government.
In answer to media requests to comment on the situation, presidential
spokesman Arman Saghatelyan said: "The President has repeatedly stated
about the inadmissibility of solving problems from the position of
strength and the indisputability of the principle of equality of all
before the law, and today the President is confident that a full,
impartial and comprehensive investigation will be ensured in this
case and adequate legal assessments will be given to the activities
of all persons that have any concern to it."
RPA parliamentary leader Galust Sahakyan told media that Khachatryan
"carried out quite serious activities and qualitative assessments
should not be made about him." But he added: "Those who commit crime
are condemned. If someone did something good, it does not mean that
he should be forgiven for a crime."
The governor of Syunik is considered to be one of the odious figures
in Armenian politics. His name figured in several scandals in Armenia
in recent years. In 2011, he publicly slapped businesswoman Silva
Hambartsumyan in the lobby of a Yerevan hotel, which turned into a big
scandal and raised questions about the violent conduct of officials
in Armenia.
Khachatryan's name also figured in WikiLeaks revelations wherein a
cable said that the Syunik governor in 2008 beat an 18-year-old man.
Earlier this year, Khachatryan was mentioned in the media in
connection with the infamous intent to lease vast alpine pastures
of Syunik to Iranian sheep breeders, which elicited a strong public
reaction. Khachatryan was also in a "war of words" with former
opposition presidential candidate Raffi Hovannisian, who accused
him of rigging the February vote in Syunik in favor of President
Serzh Sargsyan.
Opposition Armenian National Congress party member Vahagn Khachatryan
told ArmeniaNow that if we lived by other standards, there would be
serious political consequences for any party with which an incident
like the Goris shooting is associated with, but in Armenia, he said,
no political implications are expected.
"After the 2013 presidential election I thought that the government
would see that the socio-economic situation in the country is very
tense and would take some steps, but it failed and then came the
disgraceful municipal elections in Yerevan, during which the thugs
ruled and told the government representatives what to do. It means
that there is no government as it is, and this is the result," said
Khachatryan, commenting on the deadly shooting in Goris.
Opposition Heritage party deputy chairman Armen Martirosyan said that
this is not the first time when high-ranking officials are involved
in such cases in Armenia, and so far no one has adequately responded
to that. Naturally, he said, such cases will recur.
Martirosyan said that Khachatryan was acting in an atmosphere
of impunity, as since 1992 he has been ensuring the government's
reproduction in the Syunik province.
"In Armenia punishment can only be sanctioned by the president and if
the president wants to punish someone, he does so, but if he still
expects certain services from the one to be punished, he doesn't,"
said Martirosyan.
Late on Monday media in Armenia already began circulating the names of
possible successors of Khachatryan as governor of Syunik. According
to the press, among possible candidates is also General Vardan
Avetisyan, who is currently head of the Information and Public
Relations Department at Armenia's Ministry of Defense.