Yesterday evening MP Ruben Hairapetyan noted that those guilty for Harsnakar tragedy will be punished by law. “But it is not even a matter of law,” continued Ruben Hairapetyan, shifting the question to the moral field.
In fact, the problem is the law. Merely, our half-criminal community thinks law is the Criminal Code. Many think that law is crime and punishment.
In the meantime, there is a general law that is the Constitution which defines all the general principles of social life, duties and rights, including the right to government. The Constitution runs clearly that people engaged in business cannot be elected Member of Parliament and occupy state positions.
Violations of the Constitution and anti-national policy are not considered a violation because the Criminal Code does not prescribe punishment for failure of economy, falsification of elections unless they influence the final return of elections, obviously criminal businessmen in parliament, disinformation on television.
These matters, though they are more legal than murder and theft, are usually considered in the moral domain. For example, to find out the income of members of parliament and their compliance with the law the Commission of Ethics has been established, apparently, to make an “ethics” authority rather than legal, in order to consider a violation of the Constitution not as a crime but a breach of ethical standards.
In this sense, Ruben Hairapetyan’s resignation means respect for law, the Constitution which bans people like him from parliament. Apparently, Serzh Sargsyan warned him that in case he does not resign, the Commission on Ethics will consider his issue.
Vice-chairman of this commission was Nikol Pashinyan but he resigned yesterday though he stated that he will remain a member of the commission. We think the first case the commission needs to deal with is to enlarge its powers vesting it with not only “ethical” but also legal functions, up to the right to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
Perhaps, it is up to this commission to free the Armenian parliament of oligarchs and criminals. The first step has already been made. One of the most odious oligarchs has been removed from the parliament, he is crushed and scared. The situation of the rest is no better.
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