“Followed by the government decree of Chamber of Control, the system, the regime is returning the years of “Brezhnev stagnation”. In those times, they were also saying that there are no drugs, no prostitution, but in reality the information was closed, there was everything, all defects existed. Now, an attempt is made to return to the practice in a provincial way, and this is the only in the case of Chamber of Control to work in a closed regime, to release less information, less information, less criticism”, such opinion was expressed by Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of “Transparency International” anti-corruption center, in the conversation with Aravot.am.
Recall that on March 6, followed by the package on amendments in RA Laws on “Chamber of Control” and “Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly”, the government decided to ban the CoC from voicing political assessments in public speeches, publications and statements, as well as making conclusions regarding the legal consequences of violations detected by the Chamber of Control. In addition, with the same package, the government allows the agencies inspected by the Chamber of Control to present objections and clarification before the protocol is made public, and to participate in discussions in the relevant committees of the National Assembly about these findings or abuse.
“Should we were sure that the same executive, which undergoes inspection by CoC, if it had not influenced on CoC, and it would not be annoyed that its findings could have implications, in this case, let them sit down and discuss with each other for clarifications. However, there is another issue here as well, we know that pursuant to CoC law, a state agency, when detecting a violation, provide an explanation, now this provision is available, the government decision is strange. It is not that CoC is secretly entering this agency, conducting studies by partisan methods and leaving in secret. If the law already stipulates, the decision sounds very strange. Probably, they want the representatives of the Chamber of Control to consider with more superior body to avoid detecting anything,” said Mr. Hoktanyan.
To our corrective question of whether it means that onwards they will discuss the extent of corruption to be published only with Baghramyan 26, Mr. Hoktanyan said, “It is not mandatory to get to Baghramyan 26, they can do it even in the government building, in the Republic Square. However, the problem is not so much with it rather than with the fact that under the conditions in Armenia, the factors intimidating the independence of CoC are much more than in normal democratic country, it is an additional tool for limiting the independence”.
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As observed by Mr. Hoktanyan, the government is trying to introduce the experience of international and democratic countries, but in these countries the law enforcements are truly independent, and such disclosures, if in Armenia they were considered as a report on crime and the law enforcements: the police, prosecutors, and the Special Investigation Service, had commenced conducting a trial, there would be no need to giving assessments about legal consequences of the CoC.
To the question of Aravot.am of whether there will be no new corruption risks by this government decision, when the law permits the inspecting agencies to present objections and participate in the decisions, “finding a common ground” with the inspection body, eventually, the saints are not working at the CoC, although, it was also possible to “find common ground” without the law, Mr. Hoktanyan did not rule out this option. “Given the levels and prevalence of corruption in Armenia, I think it is very likely that such things happen in the course of inspections. I have no proof, however, I consider it is likely to have corruption risks on this level when the CoC members are going and conducting some basic inspections and detect major abuses. And if there is something to conceal, they conceal it on the given level, it is not so that everything is clean on this level.”
To the observation of Aravot.am that now this concealing will be made by the law, Mr. Hoktanyan said, “Maybe, by doing it, they are raising the price, they do not find common ground with each other at the bottom regarding the amount on how much to give for shutting down the voice, and they will further go up, I consider this option quite likely. However, I more see political context here.” To our question that the bill should still be discussed at the National Assembly, whether it will be passed, given the fact that the legislature was taking the CoC reports stormily, and was not missing the opportunity to criticize the executive, Mr. Hoktanyan said that there is a political majority in the parliament, inside which there is no splitting, but sometimes there will be a necessity to organize shows. “Maybe, there would be a need for making scenes, and there would be heated debates, but I think, eventually, there will be no serious conclusions.”
Nelly BABAYAN
