Haghopiyan: Harutyunyan Appointed Ruben Vardanyan for Personal Interests

Ruben Vardanyan's dismissal from the position of State Minister of Artsakh is a response to the demands of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, said Metakse Hakhobyana, secretary of the Artsakh National Assembly’s Justice faction, in a conversation with News.am.

“Once again, we observe that we do not have a president endowed with willpower. Araik Harutyunyan solves all issues by transferring individuals, but this only deepens the internal political crisis in Artsakh. When the president was still prime minister, he shifted his shortcomings onto others and dismissed them, only to make new appointments later; this time is no exception. He appointed Ruben Vardanyan based on personal interests; Araik Harutyunyan has long lost legitimacy, yet at critical moments he finds such solutions, and in that case, the most successful option was Vardanyan. Araik Harutyunyan is trying to bypass the dissatisfaction surrounding him,” said the parliamentarian.

Commenting on the news regarding the potential appointment of Chief Prosecutor Gurgen Nersisyan as State Minister of Artsakh, Metakse Hakhobyana stated that his performance in the office of Chief Prosecutor has not been effective during these past two years.

“We have yet to see any case reach its conclusion. In this scenario, Araik Harutyunyan is searching for replacements to calm the situation surrounding his position and maintain his power,” noted Metakse Hakhobyana.

She describes the situation in Artsakh with one word: hurricane, adding that former Security Council Secretary Samvel Babayan’s statement about ensuring calm in Artsakh with his presence is false from that perspective. The opposition parliamentarian sees dangers in the unity of Babayan and the President of Artsakh.

It should be noted that Babayan stated in an interview with Artsakh Public Television that he has expressed his willingness to take on the role of State Minister.

“Everyone seems to think that Artsakh is a testing ground for self-establishment, with 100-day appointments and departures that only deepen the crisis. Regardless of whether State Minister Ruben Vardanyan has been successful or not, these periodic appointments have created chaos in the country. The President's words and actions do not align. Babayan has not been perceived in Artsakh since November 9, 2020; I believe his appointment will cause discontent. Besides, I do not know where he has brought calm; rather, the situation in Artsakh is a hurricane that is deepening by the day. People want to understand why Samvel Babayan has come, what the purpose is, and whether there are any dangers expected from this unity. The public and politically healthy forces see danger in this because the same situation repeated itself before and during the war, leading to a disastrous state. Now they are trying to create the same situation again, and we can already see that the enemy country is engaging in aggressive actions while Artsakh continues to remain under blockade. In this crisis phase, State Minister Ruben Vardanyan was able to manage the chaos and assure stability among the population; people are resilient, but they are now anxious about the possible dismissal of Ruben Vardanyan,” stated Hakhobyana.

Metakse Hakhobyana, however, struggles to predict whom Araik Harutyunyan will choose: Samvel Babayan or Gurgen Nersisyan.

“Araik Harutyunyan is unpredictable. On the other hand, he has fears related to extortion. As early as last summer, we initiated the establishment of an inquiry commission to conduct audits on foundations, but a disgraceful situation arose, and the head of the United Homeland faction did everything possible to prevent that commission from being established. The current prosecutor and state minister had initiated such processes to uncover the extortion. I am confident that they possess sufficient information regarding the outrageous extortions that have taken place and how the current government has used them for their own gain over time. I believe this is why Araik Harutyunyan is inclined to appoint Gurgen Nersisyan as State Minister to free himself from the Chief Prosecutor’s interests. But I reiterate, Araik Harutyunyan's words and actions do not correspond; he is unpredictable,” emphasized the opposition parliamentarian.

Earlier, media sources reported that on February 23, the President of Artsakh would deliver a message announcing Ruben Vardanyan's dismissal. The State Minister himself has yet to respond to these reports. In a conversation with MediaHub, Chief Prosecutor Gurgen Nersisyan confirmed that he has received an offer to take on the position of State Minister. Samvel Babayan also stated in an interview with Artsakh Public Television the day before that he had been invited to ensure internal political stability in Artsakh and claimed he succeeded in bringing calm.

“I said, as the head of the executive branch, you give me 100 days, and if after that every citizen does not feel positive changes, I will leave,” stated Samvel Babayan, adding that the authorities have long been aware of his proposal but have not yet responded.