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  • Armenian PM plays down talk of instability

    Armenian PM plays down talk of instability

    Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, Yerevan
    1 Apr 04

    Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan has acknowledged that there
    is some tension in the country, but denied that it could be a threat
    to constitutional order. Interviewed by government newspaper Hayastani
    Hanrapetutyun, Markaryan said that anyone who sought to disrupt
    stability would be punished according to the law. Markaryan said that
    while his party, the Republican Party of Armenia, and the other
    parties in the governing coalition were ready to start dialogue with
    the opposition, the opposition would talk only after the authorities
    had been changed. The following is the text of Gayane Gasparyan's
    interview with Markaryan in Armenian newspaper Hayastani Hanrapetutyun
    on 1 April headlined "Illegal actions directed at disrupting stability
    in the country will be punished"; subheadings inserted editorially:

    An interview with Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan.

    No threat to constitutional order

    [Hayastani Hanrapetutyun correspondent] Tension is gradually growing in
    the country. Do you think that the problem may be settled in the
    framework of the constitution?

    [Andranik Markaryan] I would not say tension is growing. If we go out
    of the National Assembly, visit villages and towns, we shall see that
    the situation is not as it has been presented. If people do not read
    newspapers, they will not even know that some people are spreading
    tension. I think there is some tension, but it is not such a threat to
    our constitutional rights. If any party or person resorts to calls or
    actions to disrupt stability in the country, he will be punished
    within the framework of the law. The Republican Party of Armenia [RPA]
    and other forces in the coalition announced that we are ready to start
    dialogue with the opposition. Unfortunately, they say they will engage
    in dialogue only after a change in power. We say that we do not accept
    a change in power, we are ready to discuss other problems connected
    with other members of the coalition or government.

    [Correspondent] What if they decline dialogue?

    [Markaryan] They put forward a problem that is impossible to solve and
    in so doing they want to create a basis for their actions. The state
    is to stop the statements of a group of people contradicting the
    interests of the majority of people.

    [Correspondent] In some regions the same scenario was repeated
    alongside the meetings of the opposition [disruption of opposition
    rallies]. Do you not think that it was organized, probably by the
    authorities?

    [Markaryan] And what about Georgia? What happened was organized or
    not? Simply on TV and in the press they speak about certain phenomena
    and, as we are a very receptive people, we copy that.

    [Correspondent] Is it possible that the RPA will give several
    ministerial posts to the opposition and the problem will be settled?

    [Markaryan] I would like to hear this question from the opposition.

    [Correspondent] Do you accept that the post of prime minister was
    offered to [National Unity leader Artashes] Gegamyan?

    [Markaryan] I think we should not stick to rumours.

    No plans to revisit water contract

    [Correspondent] Yesterday in the National Assembly the problem of
    abuse was revealed in the course of the implementation of the district
    development programme. Does the government not intend to revisit the
    contract made with the water system operator?

    [Markaryan] No, it does not. This year the first credit programme will
    be finished. The operator is finishing its work. In addition the
    commission submitted an intermediate report and the government did not
    know its content. According to the National Assembly regulations, in
    such a case the government is not given an opportunity to express its
    viewpoint. The government does not agree with 90 per cent of the
    points in the report. In future we shall express our
    approaches. Anyway, at present during the first stage of
    investigations the commission did not do its best. They submitted 10
    questions to Gagik Martirosyan [former chairman of the State Committee
    for Water Resources] and received well-founded answers. I also blame
    the RPA faction, the deputies working in the committee, for not
    expressing definite positions in time. They will be more active during
    the next stages of the work of the committee. I hope that before that
    the government will come forward with a legislative initiative so that
    the government as well has a right to express its position during
    discussion of the conclusions of these committees. Otherwise some
    persons say something about government and the people make
    conclusions, while the government does not have the right to reply
    from the same rostrum. That is, the principle of balance has been
    broken. When discussing the anti-corruption programmes the Armenian
    Revolutionary Federation - Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] wanted to set up a
    special body. At present they want to find grounds for the need to
    set up such a body.

    [Correspondent] Is Gagik Martirosyan's dismissal connected with that
    report?

    [Markaryan] No, it is not.

    Investment to remain stable this year

    [Correspondent] The Armenian Savings Bank was privatized by a
    businessman for 400,000 dollars who later sold it for 4,000,000
    dollars. Why did the government not do that deal?

    [Markaryan] We announced the tender on time. At that time some Russian
    banks showed interest, but then they refused. Some three or four years
    have passed and there is a certain change of interests, this makes me
    happy as this means that our economy is developing in such a way that
    banking is a profitable sphere of business. If business is developing,
    naturally prices are growing.

    [Correspondent] Will the investment tendency remain stable this year?

    [Markaryan] I think it will. If two elections took place last year and
    there was no fall of economic growth and investments continued,
    according to the same logic I hope they will continue this year as
    well.

    [Correspondent] Are new staff changes expected?

    [Markaryan] This is a long process. You will know when it takes place.
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