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.