It’s evident that the Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, does not fully grasp the purpose of parliamentary hearings or why they are organized. In a parliamentary democracy, representatives of the executive are summoned to the parliament so that MPs and other attendees can voice their concerns and criticisms—in this case, regarding the activities of the security forces. Unfortunately, the culture of responding to such criticism calmly and impersonally, even if the responses are imperfect, has not yet taken root in our country.
On the other hand, judging by the enthusiastic reactions of the CCP (Civil Contract Party) members, it’s clear that this problem didn’t just emerge this week. The controversy surrounding the former Minister of Justice, the discussions with Eltsants, and the subsequent resignations all point to serious tensions between the most ambitious and, so to speak, “enthusiastic” faction of the CCP and the broader bureaucracy. It’s possible that all this noise is meant to facilitate the appointment of a more “pro-CP” oligarch in future elections, and to place a “representative of the political team,” or someone closely aligned with that team, at the head of the Investigative Committee.
However, more than individual figures, I’m interested in institutions. (After all, isn’t that why our compatriot Daron Acemoglu won the Nobel Prize alongside two other economists—for analyzing institutions?) In this context, the question must be asked: Why does our law enforcement system today operate exactly as it did at least 50 years ago? This includes the use of detention as a tool for exerting pressure.
I mention 50 years as a reference point based on my own memory, though the situation was likely the same before that, if not worse. Neither Mr. Kyaramyan nor Mrs. Vardapetyan were born 50 years ago, so the issue is not one of personal ill will, but rather the unreformable nature of the system and its institutions. To make my question more rhetorical: Why have 33 years of reform discussions turned out to be mere bluff?
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…Since I don’t have any extraordinary service to my homeland, and my chest isn’t adorned with medals, feel free to “skip remarks” about what I’ve said. In fact, it’s encouraged.
Aram Abrahamyan
