Today, Ruben Torosyan, the head of the Parliamentarianism Center in Armenia, has filed a petition in the administrative court to find the Prosperous Armenia Party registration void, explaining that it is not a party, it is a charitable organization. During a conversation with us, Ruben Torosyan claimed that there was no word about any party activities on the website of the PAP, “The Central Electoral Commission has not taken into account the fact that the PAP is basically a charitable organization, moreover, it is the most powerful in Armenia. Registering that organization as a party in the state register, the state creates sharply unequal conditions in the National Assembly election, violating Article 3, Section 2 of the Electoral Code. The CEC not taking any measures to enforce the law through state bodies – i.e. they haven’t taken any measures to prevent it from engaging in charity – violated also Article 110, Paragraph 1.1 of the Electoral Code – i.e. they have registered that organization as a party.”
In response to our question whether the PAP would be left out of the election struggle by that petition of his, Ruben Torosyan said, “Why do you ask such a question? OK, what shall we do? Shall we hang our heads like sheep? If we said ‘yes, exactly the PAP will be left out of the election struggle,’ we would pretend to be stupid, although this is a very serious issue – unequal starting conditions are created.” In response to our observation whether he just reminded that there was such a thing in the law, Mr. Torosyan said, “No one does his job. We don’t care whether they will pay attention to this or not, we work for the sake of our conscience and the society, as you do. The CEC makes a formal decision. How can a pitiful party compete with this powerful charitable organization? We have a law, don’t we? And the law says it is not allowed.”
According to Ruben Torosyan, “When the subject matter is Sukiasyan, they ostensibly remember the law and enforce it; however, not only Sukiasyan is the issue. Let them consider also the issue of Khosrov Harutyunyan and Babukhanyan. Why did they formally take from the Rule of Law Party for ungrounded numbers to show to the people that there is democracy, see they leave out formally? Now there is a precedent, we do that too. Shall we sit idly by, as those alcoholic observers? We watch them too. Now shall we sit unconcerned and let them do that?”
In response to our question why the ANC had demanded so much that there were 2000 observers, if they had no faith in the observers, since he had called them alcoholics, ANC member Ruben Torosyan said, “I don’t know why he demanded. As for the moment, everything is set, the election is already over, everything is ready, these people have bribed one half and have registered the other half as members. Can you imagine collective registration of members, that sheep thing? A man hangs his head and goes to be collectively registered as a member; do you understand what that is?”
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By the way, Ruben Torosyan is not included in the ANC list for proportional representation. He assured that the reason was only that he would participate as an observer.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
