Prosperous Armenia party demands prosecutor general’s resignation

YEREVAN, October 2. / ARKA /. The Prosperous Armenia party, which has the second largest faction in Armenia’s parliament, demands the resignation of prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian, a faction member Stepan Margaryan said today at the National Assembly today.

The Armenian National Assembly resumed today debates on whether to lift Oskanian's immunity or not. Vartan Oskanian, elected to the parliament from the Prosperous Armenia Party is accused by the National Security Service (NSS) of money-laundering stemming from a lavish donation made to Civilitas Foundation, a Yerevan think -tank founded by Oskanian, by US philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. in 2010. The money was generated by the sale of a construction materials plant that was built by Huntsman in Yerevan in the early 1990s.

Margaryan said prosecutor’s generals petition to lift the parliamentary immunity of former Armenian foreign minister and allow his prosecution is an attempt to strike a blow to the Prosperous Armenia. "If we are wrong then the parliament must decline it", he said.

By a secret voting the National Assembly is expected today to decide whether to allow former foreign minister’s prosecution or not.

The parliamentary factions of Prosperous Armenia, Heritage and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said they would not take part in the voting. The largest oppositional Armenian National Congress has also said it would abstain from voting. The Republican Party of Armenia and Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) which control together 74 seats have not expressed their stance yet. 

Oskanian and other members of the faction walked out of parliament hall after the end of debates. Oskanian said he refuses the final word. The faction will boycott this week’s session. Earlier a faction member, Naira Zohrabian, said it may consider its further involvement in parliament. -0-