ANALYSTS SPECULATE ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MARGARYAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN
MURDERED

2007/04/01 12:35

Press Release from:
Mass Wire Media Association

The sudden death of Armenia’s Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, 55,
on March 25 has set off red flags amongst veteran Armenia-watchers,
some suggesting foul play. Whatever the cause, the politician’s death
resulted in overnight changes for the fragile Armenian democracy and a
host of other issues including the European Community’s quest for
energy security in the Caucasus region and enforcement of
international sanctions aimed at Iran.

With Presidential elections approaching, Margaryan was increasingly
seen as a viable alternative to the powerful Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisyan, an ally of current President Robert Kocharyan, who is
moving toward the completion of his term of office. Both men come from
Nagorny Karabakh, an enclave inside the territory of neighboring
Azerbaijan. Armenia’s armed seizure of this area in the 1990’s remains
a volatile point of contention with Azerbaijan, a flash point in the
Caucasus that continues to destabilize the region and slow down
cooperation in economic development.

Prime Minister Margaryan assumed office in 2000, following the murder
of his predecessor. He had lately leaned toward addressing the
consequences of Karabakh’s occupation to the Armenian economy. This
conflict prevents Armenia, among other things, from enjoying normal
relations with powerful neighbors such as Turkey and of course
Azerbaijan, specifically precluding the option of Armenia’s serving as
a transit country for Caspian oil and gas.

Margaryan’s position conformed with the EU’s wishes to resolve the
conflict and ensure a higher degree of energy security in the area, a
stance strongly opposed by Armenia’s President and Defense Minister,
both of whom had been guerilla fighters in Karabakh, steadfastly
rejecting any compromise with the Azerbi demands.

Margaryan’s position also flew in the face of the current President’s
policy of energy cooperation with Iran, which often skirted
international sanctions and the EU approach to Iran that Margaryan
also supported. Observers report that Magaryan and his family have
recently received a spate of threatening phone calls and letters,
along with others in his Republican Party of Armenia, demanding his
resignation as President and head of the party.

There is also talk in Armenia that Margaryan had compromising
documents regarding corruption in the armed forces, illicit real
estate dealings by top military brass and illegal expenditures by the
defense establishment which he intended to make public before the
upcoming Parliamentary election scheduled for May 12th.