Thursday,
Armenian PM Warns Of Tough Action Against ‘Fake News’
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks at a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, April 4, 2019.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday threatened to respond “very harshly”
to unnamed “former oligarchs” who he said falsely accuse his government of
pushing up fuel prices in Armenia.
Pashinian ordered the National Security Service (NSS) to crack down on anyone
who uses mass media or social media to “manipulate public opinion.”
“Let nobody succumb to the temptation to feel on their jaw the power of a
counterblow by the government enjoying the people’s trust,” he warned at a
weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
Pashinian was incensed by a newspaper report which claimed that the retail
price of pressurized natural gas, used by most vehicles in Armenia, has jumped
by around 40 percent because of government plans to introduce new pricing
requirements for it.
Under a bill approved by the government in February, motorists would have to
pay for every kilogram, rather than cubic meter, of gas purchased by them.
Officials argued that the weight of gas is a more objective measure than its
volume because the latter can have different degrees of density. The bill has
yet to be debated by the Armenian parliament.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting, the head of a government body monitoring the
domestic fuel market, Armen Kotolian, said that car owners have paid more for
pressurized gas for the last few days because of its increased density.
Kotolian insisted that the cost of gas has not gone up in real terms.
Pashinian seized upon that explanation to denounce “manipulative reports” about
the impact of the measure planned by the government. He blamed them on owners
of gas stations who he said want to continue to evade taxes.
“If some former oligarchs think that in the existing situation they can enter
the field of manipulations, they are mistaken,” he said. “I want to warn
everyone for the last time not to interpret our civility as weakness. Or else,
each of them will get a very harsh counterblow.”
The outspoken premier did not name any of those tycoons. The major owners of
gas station chains include Gagik Tsarukian, one of the country’s richest men
who also leads the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). The BHK controls
the second largest faction in the National Assembly.
Pashinian went on to order the head of the NSS, Artur Vanetsian, to already
launch a crackdown. “True, the freedom of speech and information is guaranteed
in our country,” he told Vanetsian. “But if some criminal circles spend
millions on manipulating public opinion through the press and social media,
that’s a matter of national security, and I hope that your service will manage
to achieve concrete results on this front.”
The premier also demanded NSS action against “fake” social media users who he
said also openly call for violent actions, including against members of the
former Armenian government.
Speaking to journalists after the government session, Vanetsian said that the
NSS will be treading “very carefully” on the issue. “If [social media] posts,
whether by fake or actual users, do not contain elements of a crime,
law-enforcement bodies will have no reason to act,” he said.
All forms of libel were decriminalized in Armenia about a decade ago.
Fake News Not Criminal Offence In Armenia, Says Activist
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Daniel Ioannisian of the Union of Informed Citizens talks to
Azatutyun TV, Yerevan,10Dec2018
Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) is not legally allowed to launch a
crackdown on false news reports and social media comments ordered by Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian, a prominent civic activist insisted on Thursday.
“At the moment there are virtually no legal mechanisms allowing the NSS to
fight against fake news, unless those who spread fake news commit other
crimes,” said Daniel Ioannisian of the Yerevan-based Union of Informed Citizens.
“At the same time, if we … talk about legislative changes, we have to bear in
mind that in a democratic society the spread of fake news cannot be deemed a
crime and prosecuted by the state,” Ioannisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
“In this regard, the state has very few possibilities of giving law-enforcers,
within the framework of legislative changes, levers to fight against fake news.”
Ioannisian argued that the Armenian Criminal Code does not give law-enforcement
authorities such levers.
All forms of libel were decriminalized in Armenia about a decade ago.
Earlier in the day, Pashinian ordered the head of the NSS, Artur Vanetsian, to
crack down on anyone who uses mass media or social media to “manipulate public
opinion.” He referred to “fake” social media users who he said also make untrue
claims on government policies or openly call for violence.
Pashinian’s supporters themselves have been accused by members of the former
Armenian government and other critics of the country’s current leadership of
spreading fake news during and after last year’s “velvet revolution.”
Asked whether the crackdown ordered by Pashinian could be seen as a threat to
freedom of expression, Ioannisian said: “That depends on what steps would be
taken. I don’t exclude that those who spread fake news also commit other
crimes. Maybe by solving those crimes the NSS will manage to thwart the
activities of those who spread fake news.”
Security Chief Downplays Mother’s ‘Resignation’
Ապրիլ 04, 2019
Armenia - Artur Vanetsian, director of the National Security Service, visits a
medical center for rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, February 1, 2019.
The head of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS), Artur Vanetsian, urged
media on Thursday not to politicize the dismissal of his mother who has held a
senior position in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s office.
Margarit Azarian ran the office’s human resources division until being relieved
of her duties on Tuesday.
Pashinian also sacked several other senior members of his staff. His press
secretary, Vladimir Karapetian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the
officials lost their jobs because of “inadequate execution of the prime
minister’s orders.”
Vanetsian insisted, however, that Azarian, who also worked for Armenia’s former
presidents, herself decided to resign. He cited an official statement posted on
the prime minister’s website.
“But I don’t want to discuss that because the prime minister’s decisions must
be executed, not discussed,” he told reporters.
“Please do not personalize this process,” Vanetsian went on. “My mother worked
in the state system for a very long time, even when I was a schoolboy. My
mother continued to work in the state system when I was appointed as director
of the National Security Service.”
“So please do not link my and mother’s work with each other,” he said.
Vanetsian has been widely regarded as an influential member of Pashinian’s
entourage since the latter was elected prime minister in May last year. He has
been instrumental in high-profile corruption investigations launched by the NSS
in recent months.
Armenian Tax Officials To Get Extra Bonuses
• Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- A customs checkpoint at the main Armenian-Georgian border crossing
at Bagratashen, 4Nov2016.
Ignoring strong objections from its finance minister, the Armenian government
nearly tripled on Thursday the total amount of bonuses which will be paid to
tax and customs officials this year.
The government originally planned to spend 833 million drams ($1.7 million) for
this purpose. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said the sum should be raised to
2.33 billion drams to discourage corruption in the State Revenue Committee
(SRC) and reward its employees for better-than-expected tax collection.
“We have to understand what we are dealing with,” he told a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan. “A customs officer who processes tens and sometimes even hundreds of
millions drams worth of goods each day gets a [monthly] salary of 160,000
drams.”
Pashinian said that the modest salary, which is below the current national
average of 172, 000 drams ($355), tempts them to take bribes and engage in
other corrupt practices. He also argued that the SRC, which comprises the
Armenian tax and customs services, exceeded its revenue target in the first
quarter of 2019 by 11.4 billion drams.
Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian openly objected to the measure, sparking a
bitter verbal exchange with the SRC chief, Davit Ananian.
Armenia - Finance Minister Atom Janjughazian is about to present the
government's draft budget for 2019 to parliament deputies in Yerevan, 13
November 2018
Janjughazian said that the sharp rise in government funding for bonuses would
make the SRC “the most equal among equals” in the government. He also
downplayed the SRC’s first-quarter performance, saying that “in theory” it
could have collected even more taxes given continuing economic growth in the
country.
“In theory, we can say anything,” countered Ananian. “For example, we can say
in theory that we have messed up the management of public finances.”
Pashinian insisted on the proposed “interim solution,” while admitting that
Janjughazian has a point. He promised to seek “more institutional and deep
solutions” to the sensitive issue of extra pay for government officials and
civil servants.
The prime minister also argued that the sum in question will still pale in
comparison with 6 billion drams in bonuses which the SRC’s leadership and other
employees received last year.
The disclosure by Armenian media of hefty bonuses paid to tax officials as well
as the employees of other government agencies caused opposition uproar late
last year. Ananian was forced to admit in January that he alone received 14
million drams ($29,000) in bonuses during his eight-month tenure.
Pashinian essentially defended those payments, arguing that they also benefited
ordinary public sector employees, notably school teachers. He also complained
that the government has trouble attracting skilled professionals working for
private firms because government salaries are too low.
Press Review
“Zhamanak” looks at implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial
decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The paper
says the Israeli government has responded to the move by unveiling plans to
build more Jewish settlements there. It says this policy should serve as an
example for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Haykakan Zhamanak” says Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev responded to
Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan when he said that his country’s war
with Armenia never ended. “He didn’t say anything new,” comments the paper. “Of
course the war is not over and we have known that for a long time. This is why
everyone in Armenia now speaks about lessons of the April [2016] war and what
steps are needed to avert a repeat of it. But sadly, instead of finding a joint
solution as a result of these discussions, political forces and expert circles
are trying to use this topic for their parochial interests or the needs of
their sponsors.” In particular, the pro-government paper says, any attempt to
discuss the Armenian military’s shortcomings in April 2016 is immediately
branded as a desire to persecute Armenia’s former leadership.
“Zhoghovurd” says that one of the purposes of periodical joint statements made
by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group is to test
Armenian and Azerbaijani public reactions to them. The paper says the mediators
specifically want to see how prepared Armenians and Azerbaijanis are for
peaceful settlements proposed by them. “In this regard, it is very important to
raise the publics’ awareness of the current phase of the negotiating process to
a proper level.”
Vladimir Kazimirov, Russia’s chief Karabakh negotiator in 1992-1996, tells “168
Zham” that a renewed full-scale war in Karabakh is not likely. “But [shooting]
incidents happen and they may continue,” says Kazimirov. “The party that is
interested in them may want to test its forces as it did in April 2016. Such
incidents may happen again. But I don’t think that the conflicting parties are
interested in the resumption of a big war. One of the parties always threatens
to use force. But this [threat] is primarily addressed to its own people.”
(Sargis Harutyunyan)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org