Competition Results Predetermined: 'Hraparak'

'Hraparak' newspaper reports that the Council of the Public Broadcaster will announce the winner of the competition for the vacant position of the Public Radio director on July 29. A few days ago, we wrote that Armen Koloyan, a longtime employee of Radio Liberty and a pro-government candidate, is the regime's favorite. The desire to appoint him as director is so strong that they have decided to abandon their slogans about fair elections and the rejuvenation of the public system. Koloyan is 67 years old. It is strange that the law does not stipulate age restrictions, considering that the age limit for holding executive positions is 65.

Yesterday, former Radio director Garegin Khumaryan stated that he has evidence that the results of the competition have already been predetermined and that Koloyan has already been taken to the government, which means the competition is fraudulent. He has called on the competition participants to boycott the process and withdraw their applications.

Competition participant and 'Hraparak' correspondent Lusine Petrosyan does not find the boycott to be justified for two reasons. To evaluate the process, one must wait for its completion: 'The fact that someone has met with the chairman of the Public Broadcaster Council and Koloyan at the government building (most likely a secondary figure who has no influence through a phone call) or has a personal interest in Mr. Koloyan being chosen as the radio director does not guarantee that this will happen. First, Koloyan's selection must become a fact from which conclusions and actions will follow.' Moreover, 'the selection is made based on the submitted documents—professional biography, motivation, the concept of development for Public Radio, and Mr. Koloyan's proposal is unlikely to be the best,' writes the 'Hraparak' newspaper.