REASON OF ROBERT AVAGIAN’S NOT PARTICIPATING IN FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE WORK IS STRAINED RELATIONS WITH ANC REPRESENTATIVE
NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 2, 2009
YEREVAN
The reason of ruling coalition representative Robert Avagian’s not
participating in the work of the fact-finding committee on study of
the March 1 events is his strained relations with Armenian National
Congress (ANC) representative Andranik Kocharian. Reporting it at
the June 2 press conference, R. Avagian said that at first their
relations were very good, but they worsened when he refused to
"write something" about the death circumstances of Police Officer
Hamlet Tadevosian who perished on March 1. Explaining the reason of
his step, R. Avagian had said to A. Kocharian: "It would be better if
you write it, as your political force trumpets it very much. Besides,
governmental institutions have already expressed their opinion, it
would be better if we are neutral in this issue so as not to exert
pressure upon you in this issue and be passive and you be active."
According to R. Avagian, personally he was against sending the
conclusion on death circumstances of H. Tadevosian to the NA Ad-hoc
Committee, as the fact-finding committee even was not empowered to
introduce an interim conclusion to the Committee. "If A. Kocharian
and Zharangutiun representative Seda Safarian had listened to me and
had not sent, it would be also good for the opposition, and the death
circumstances of the rest 9 victims would have been also found out,"
he emphasized.
Commenting upon RA Ombudsman’s statement on appointing a new
representative in the fact-finding committee instead of Vahe Stepanian,
who has also resigned, R. Avagian said that the Ombudsman is not
empowered to introduce a new representative. "RA President’s order
contains a provision, according to which fact-finding committee’s 5
members are irreplaceable," he emphasized.