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CIVILITAS SAGA: OSKANIAN STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION AS PAP PREPARES FOR YEREVAN POLLS
POLITICS | 29.03.13 | 14:45
Photo: www.civilnet.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Armenian authorities have stopped short of interpreting the statements
of the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and the heads
of diplomatic missions of a number of other European countries as
interference in Armenia's internal affairs regarding the controversial
case involving a Yerevan-based think tank
At the same time, Armenian law-enforcement agencies have not yet
provided any substantial evidence against the management of the
Civilitas Foundation, which is being accused of money laundering.
The Civilitas Foundation was established by former foreign minister
and now lawmaker with the 'alternative' Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
Vartan Oskanian. The National Security Service (NSS) has charged him
with misappropriating some $1.4 million donated to the foundation
by a U.S. philanthropist. The donor, whose interests the Armenian
authorities claim to be protecting, has not presented any claims to
Oskanian or Civilitas, however. Despite this, the case is continuing.
Many analysts see political motives behind the investigation. The
probe launched in May last year shortly after PAP refused to renew
a coalitional deal with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia may
have also become the reason for Oskanian, who was stripped of his
parliamentary immunity in the process, to stop short of contesting the
2013 presidential election. Now there is a growing analytical opinion
that the new wave of pressure is connected with PAP's ambitions in
the May elections to the Yerevan City Council in which Oskanian tops
the party's list of candidates.
Some Armenian media have also made assumptions that the unprecedented
press conference of foreign ambassadors hosted by the Civilitas on
Wednesday is connected with the probability of Oskanian's impending
arrest.
Oskanian himself in a recent interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service
voiced his bewilderment over the authorities' crackdown on a private
foundation that promotes the image of Armenia while the government
itself is "bogged down in bribery". "I urge the authorities to leave
Civilitas alone," he said.
The United States Embassy in Armenia has no concerns about U.S.
taxpayer funds spent on projects carried out jointly with Civilitas,
said U.S. Ambassador John Heffern. He noted that three of the projects
being examined by the NSS are American ones and they were implemented
in a timely manner and within their budgets.
"We definitely believe there is no victim here and as far as we know
there is no complainant reporting any violations. We believe that
there is nothing to be investigated by the NSS or anybody else and
certainly nothing of a criminal nature," said the American ambassador.
He stopped short, however, of speculating on whether the case has a
political implication.
Meanwhile, PAP is actively involved in current political processes
regarding the upcoming elections in Yerevan. Oskanian himself believes
that dismantling Armenia's political monopoly is extremely important.
"More than half of our population lives in Yerevan. If the mayor of
Yerevan does not represent the ruling party, he or she will become the
second most important political figure in the Republic of Armenia,
regardless of what the Constitution says. Yerevan is a state within
a state," said Oskanian.
Elections in Yerevan are slated for May 5, and the ruling party has
already stated on several occasions that it will not let the opposition
take power in the Armenian capital.
Among the participants in the race is also the 'Hello, Yerevan'
election bloc supported by Raffi Hovannisian, a former presidential
candidate who has been on a hunger strike in the city's Liberty Square
since March 10 disputing President Serzh Sargsyan's reelection.
Hovannisian is in dialogue with Sargsyan, but his supporters appear
determined to stage a large-scale demonstration on April 9, the
day when Sargsyan is due to be sworn in for a second five-year
presidential term.
And now the Republican Party has to work on at least two fronts -
neutralizing Oskanian, and the Hovannisian bloc.
From: A. Papazian
POLITICS | 29.03.13 | 14:45
Photo: www.civilnet.am
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Armenian authorities have stopped short of interpreting the statements
of the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and the heads
of diplomatic missions of a number of other European countries as
interference in Armenia's internal affairs regarding the controversial
case involving a Yerevan-based think tank
At the same time, Armenian law-enforcement agencies have not yet
provided any substantial evidence against the management of the
Civilitas Foundation, which is being accused of money laundering.
The Civilitas Foundation was established by former foreign minister
and now lawmaker with the 'alternative' Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP)
Vartan Oskanian. The National Security Service (NSS) has charged him
with misappropriating some $1.4 million donated to the foundation
by a U.S. philanthropist. The donor, whose interests the Armenian
authorities claim to be protecting, has not presented any claims to
Oskanian or Civilitas, however. Despite this, the case is continuing.
Many analysts see political motives behind the investigation. The
probe launched in May last year shortly after PAP refused to renew
a coalitional deal with the ruling Republican Party of Armenia may
have also become the reason for Oskanian, who was stripped of his
parliamentary immunity in the process, to stop short of contesting the
2013 presidential election. Now there is a growing analytical opinion
that the new wave of pressure is connected with PAP's ambitions in
the May elections to the Yerevan City Council in which Oskanian tops
the party's list of candidates.
Some Armenian media have also made assumptions that the unprecedented
press conference of foreign ambassadors hosted by the Civilitas on
Wednesday is connected with the probability of Oskanian's impending
arrest.
Oskanian himself in a recent interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service
voiced his bewilderment over the authorities' crackdown on a private
foundation that promotes the image of Armenia while the government
itself is "bogged down in bribery". "I urge the authorities to leave
Civilitas alone," he said.
The United States Embassy in Armenia has no concerns about U.S.
taxpayer funds spent on projects carried out jointly with Civilitas,
said U.S. Ambassador John Heffern. He noted that three of the projects
being examined by the NSS are American ones and they were implemented
in a timely manner and within their budgets.
"We definitely believe there is no victim here and as far as we know
there is no complainant reporting any violations. We believe that
there is nothing to be investigated by the NSS or anybody else and
certainly nothing of a criminal nature," said the American ambassador.
He stopped short, however, of speculating on whether the case has a
political implication.
Meanwhile, PAP is actively involved in current political processes
regarding the upcoming elections in Yerevan. Oskanian himself believes
that dismantling Armenia's political monopoly is extremely important.
"More than half of our population lives in Yerevan. If the mayor of
Yerevan does not represent the ruling party, he or she will become the
second most important political figure in the Republic of Armenia,
regardless of what the Constitution says. Yerevan is a state within
a state," said Oskanian.
Elections in Yerevan are slated for May 5, and the ruling party has
already stated on several occasions that it will not let the opposition
take power in the Armenian capital.
Among the participants in the race is also the 'Hello, Yerevan'
election bloc supported by Raffi Hovannisian, a former presidential
candidate who has been on a hunger strike in the city's Liberty Square
since March 10 disputing President Serzh Sargsyan's reelection.
Hovannisian is in dialogue with Sargsyan, but his supporters appear
determined to stage a large-scale demonstration on April 9, the
day when Sargsyan is due to be sworn in for a second five-year
presidential term.
And now the Republican Party has to work on at least two fronts -
neutralizing Oskanian, and the Hovannisian bloc.
From: A. Papazian