Crime Report or False Accusation? Yerevan.Today

On March 5, Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee, stated in an interview that Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan is simultaneously exercising the powers of Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan. "Onik Gasparyan should no longer legally hold the position of Chief of General Staff," he said.

Yerevan.Today inquired constitutional lawyer and attorney Aram Vardevanyan whether this statement contains any legal issues, considering that the spokesperson is a high-ranking parliamentarian directly related to the field. Additionally, it was noted that since October 27, 1999, the same individuals had used similar blackmail and ultimatums against the President of the Republic, attempting to seize power by demanding to be appointed as Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and other ministers.

“The stated declaration raises several issues on various legal grounds. It is no secret that the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces are fragmented and separated. This has a clear reason; since the Ministry of Defense acts as a political body, as the minister is, after all, a political official and part of the government team, while the Armed Forces stand as a body within the realm of political neutrality, meaning it is not directly subordinate to any body. In this context, the Minister of Defense cannot have any direct interference in the operation of the Chief of General Staff, let alone assume the performance of those duties,” Vardevanyan said.

“We can certainly see that Andranik Kocharyan and the acting Minister of Defense are attempting to seize the powers of the General Staff in pre-agreement. This means interfering in the professional military service. This also implies risks in terms of abuse of powers and exceeding authority, which must be properly assessed. I believe the Prosecutor's Office should also pay attention to this, since the matter concerns a statement made by a person holding the position of Chairman of a permanent committee, which I do not think can merely be senseless words or a consequence of ignorance. This should be the subject of proper investigation; just as we can imagine one day seeing the Minister of Defense also assuming the powers of the President of the Country,” stated Aram Vardevanyan.

When asked whether the issue should be considered alongside the fact that the Ministry of Defense’s press service is intensively disseminating news about the Minister of Defense's meetings with representatives of the General Staff, Vardevanyan replied, “I think this might strengthen Andranik Kocharyan’s words as a high-ranking official regarding the idea that Vagharshak Harutyunyan, being the Minister of Defense, is intervening in the activities of the Chief of General Staff, which he cannot have any authority over at all.”

Aram Vardevanyan emphasizes that the Minister of Defense can never come out as performing the duties of the Chief of General Staff.