Armenian MPs Debate Work of Commission to Study Gas Contracts with Russia

The ruling coalition in Armenia's National Assembly is sure that the commission to study the gas contracts with Russia being "closed doors" won't prevent it from being transparent in its work. Ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) MP Margarit Yesayan said that after commission meetings the non-coalition parties are free to tell the media whatever they like; that is, whatever happened at the meeting.

Note, the "gas commission" is set to examine gas contracts signed between Russia and Armenia last year regarding gas prices, the debt to Russia and the sale of ArmRosGazprom's shares. 

Yesayan also touched upon the non-ruling coalition parties' dissatisfaction with the fact that the commission chair must be from the HHK. "That's why the parliamentary majority is the majority, so that it can have a majority in the commission as well, and the chair be from the majority," she said. 

Rule of Law (OEK) MP Hovhannes Margaryan, in turn, said he has experience in coordinating the work of similar parliamentary committees. As an example, he cited the March 1 Commission, the chair of which likewise was a HHK representative (Samvel Nikoyan). 

Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D) parliamentary faction Armen Rustamyan said the approach of his party toward the gas commission is very clear. "We've never pursued PR goals. The proof is that the ARF-D proposed creating a gas commission back in 2010. I don't like this secrecy [of the commission being closed doors], but nothing can stop me from saying what I want outside."

Head of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction Levon Zurabyan, in turn, asked a question: Will this be a commission to bury or uncover the truth?

Prosperous Armenia Party MP Naira Zohrabyan said she doesn't doubt that the HHK has no intention of telling the truth about the gas deal. "If that was your purpose, you wouldn't turn the state into a gas company's fan club, a subsidiary of a gas company," she said, adding that on principle, her party would like the commission to make its conclusion public in May not in November, as proposed by the HHK. 

Also weighing in on the matter, parliamentary speaker Hovik Abrahamyan said it's not right to discredit a commission that hasn't been created yet. He assured the MPs that the commission will work well, and the fact that it will work behind closed doors cannot be cause for concern if "MPs won't engage in demagoguery."