The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) political council perceives the persecution of Vartan Oskanian as persecution of the party
“Such cases have political overtones in our country and are political persecutions,” Garnik Margaryan, a member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the leader of the Motherland and Dignity Party, said about the Armenian Attorney General’s application to the parliament to involve PAP MP Vartan Oskanian as an accused in the Civilitas Foundation case. We inquired how probable the scenario that Vartan Oskanian would be the joint candidate of the ANC and the PAP in the presidential election was and whether the government had started the persecution of Oskanian because of that. Garnik Margaryan said that he deemed such a project impossible, to say the least. At least, he and his party, being a member of the ANC, don’t have such information. “Such a thing cannot happen. All those rumors, even regarding supervising the joint staff etc. during the parliamentary election… we were against that. The PAP has been a part of the government since its establishment. Such a thing cannot happen. I don’t think that the ANC will take such a step. We don’t need Oskanians. For us, the ANC cannot have such a candidate,” Garnik Margaryan said. He thinks that the opinion that the government is trying to create an image for Vartan Oskanian
using the American technologies is more probable. “Why not? Those PR actions and made-up candidates aim at one thing – endorsing Serzh Sargsyan in the end,” he said. As for the parliament’s position, our interlocutor noted, “The buttons of the parliament are in the President’s hands and they will vote in accordance with his decision. They will press the button Serzh Sargsyan will show. How do you know that there are no other options?”
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Aram Karapetyan, the leader of the New Times Party, said in response to a question of Aravot whether legal explanations or political overtones were stronger in this case, in his opinion, “Every action taken by law-enforcers against any politician necessarily includes the political aspect. It is so in all countries around the world. Since the legal side of the application is not fully presented, it is hard to say what Vartan Oskanian presents. From the personal perspective, frankly speaking, I don’t believe that Vartan Oskanian was engaged in money laundering. I am neither a prosecutor, nor a lawyer; I think it is not probable. From the legal perspective, I don’t know, we will see when they present it.” Aram Karapetyan thinks that the scenario that the government is creating an image for Vartan Oskanian to “grant” him the second place in the presidential election is not probable. “I don’t think that such a scenario is probable as far as a person with such a serious contribution as Oskanian is concerned. To disgrace a person who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to say that he was engaged in money laundering, discredit, afterwards use that… I don’t think so. I don’t think that Vartan Oskanian would have agreed to that role. That option would have worked as far as a person who had not held any public office is concerned. However, in Armenia, this option will not work as far as serious politicians are concerned. I think that Vartan Oskanian will not announce his candidacy to stop all such rumors,” Aram Karapetyan said. He doesn’t think the speculations that Oskanian will be the joint candidate of the PAP and the ANC are serious, “I don’t see any logic there either given the road Mr. Oskanian has travelled – March 1 etc. There are things, which are incompatible. It is almost the same as making Robert Kocharyan the ANC candidate. Those scenarios would have applied to ‘little people.’”
Later on, the Prosperous Armenia Party political council made a statement, in which it expressed its unreserved support for its member and was ready to achieve the restoration of justice by all lawful means, “The Prosperous Armenia Party thinks that the Armenian Attorney General’s application to the National Assembly to give consent to involving National Assembly member Vartan Oskanian as an accused is political persecution, which is against not only Vartan Oskanian, but also the Prosperous Armenia Party. The accusations included in the application are groundless and lack any legal justification. On Monday, when this issue will be discussed, the Prosperous Armenia Party will present a package of documents, which will explain the groundlessness of the accusations of the Attorney General’s Office, to all MPs. The Prosperous Armenia Party strongly condemns the use of such methods in political issues,” the statement reads.
NELLY GRIGORYAN
