October 2, 2012 - 14:12 AMT
Heritage to boycott vote on Oskanian case – party member

Heritage parliamentary group will back Prosperous Armenia member, former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian, party member said.

Ruben Hakobyan expressed the faction’s readiness to boycott the vote on stripping ex-minister Oskanian of deputy immunity.

In this context, he urged the political majority to drop the case, noting it as a factor undermining both the parliament’s and the country’s image in international arena.

Mr. Hakobyan further noted charges against Oskanian as a continuation of the parliament’s tradition to deprive MPs of their congressional immunity, citing a number of old cases to prove his point (Vazgen Manukyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Shavarsh Kocharyan were stripped of deputy immunity).

Armenian parliament holds discussions on Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan’s proposal to strip ex-minister Vartan Oskanian of deputy immunity over money-laundering charges against Civilitas Foundation.