Raffi Hovannisian, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Hetq Online

Following the return of U.S. born former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovannisian to the political scene in Armenia, and after his much publicized detention by agents of the National Security Service — the former KGB — at Zvartnots Airport, it now looks like the Government is doing all it can to dirty the Hovannisian family name. According to Hetq Online, Public TV appears to be playing a significant role in attempts to destroy the image of one of Armenia’s most respected public figures.

Anchorperson Tatevik Baghdasaryan presented the report, entitled Charity as Political Business, with the following introduction:

“The activity of public charity organizations in Armenia is based mainly on donations from Diasporan philanthropists – on their money. And where there is money, there is temptation. The question of whether philanthropists’ money always serves charitable purposes is of interest, first of all, to those who don’t hesitate to provide portions of their earnings on a regular basis to those in need. Among these people is Armenian-American Jack Berberian, a philanthropist who is well known and widely respected within the community. Haylur ’s investigative team has tried to find out how [they are used] and what purposes charitable donations serve?” (For the full text, see: www.armtv.com).

The Haylur “investigative team”, anxious about how Jack Berberian’s money was being spent in Armenia, alleged that “the funds raised by the executive director of JAA, Armine Hovhannisian (the wife of former Foreign Minister Raffi Hovhannisian), in America are allotted to her husband’s political activity, to collecting signatures in support of Hovhannisian’s receiving Armenian citizenship, etc. The important question is whether Jack Berberian, who finances the program, is aware of all this. Does he know that the money he has provided for the education of Armenia’s youth is invested in a family business that serves one man’s political ambitions? Certainly not, because the Diaspora has made it clear from the very beginning of Armenia’s independence that it was important to them that donations reach their target.”

According to the Hetq report, Public TV’s accusations are unsubstantiated and probably serve a political purpose. It is no secret that Raffi Hovannisian plans to contest the 2007 parliamentary elections, and possibly the 2008 presidential elections, in cooperation with other members of the Armenian opposition. Still, the latest use of Public TV to serve the purpose of “black propaganda” does at least show the authorities are worried. More significantly, this type of campaign usually backfires and it might just do that again, but this time in the large Armenian Diaspora.

“This type of attitude on the part of an Armenian media outlet might indeed dismay Armenian-American philanthropists and prevent them from actively investing in Armenia,” reads a letter from Jack Berberian, an Armenian-American philanthropist, to the chairman of the Council of Public Television and Radio, Alexan Harutunyan. The source of our fellow Armenian’s dismay was a February 15 report by the “investigative team” at Haylur (Public TV’s news program) on Junior Achievement of Armenia (JAA), a nonprofit organization. Berberian serves as president of the board of directors of JAA.

[…]

In his February 17, 2006 letter to Alexan Harutunyan, Jack Berberian wrote: “I, Jack Berberian, an Armenian-American businessman, was deeply disturbed to learn about the deceitful and distorted report aired by the Haylur news program on February 15 th regarding the ‘un-targeted spending of funds I provided’ to the organization Junior Achievement of Armenia organization.’ As president of the board of directors of JAA, I formally declare that the organization’s activity is financed by USAID. I would like to inform you that the organization’s financial activity is supervised by USAID, Junior Achievement International, and the organization’s board of directors. Furthermore, Junior Achievement of Armenia undergoes annual independent auditing by Corbin & Company, Ltd. Our financial statements are published in the organization’s Annual Reports and are placed on the JAA website, both of which are open and transparent to the public. … I strongly urge you to refute the misinformation aired on your program without delay and cease hindering Armenia’s progress with such fabricated reports.”

Meanwhile, Noyan Tapan analyst David Petrosyan also writes about the attack on the Hovannisians. Not surprisingly, Petrosyan says that the action probably represents an attempt to destroy Raffi Hovannisian’s reputation among the Armenian public in what is now pre-election year. Whoever controls Parliament in 2007 will determine who will become President in 2008. Forget democracy. None exists in Armenia and there is so far no sign that there will be any for the next wave of elections.

R.Kocharian’s political team apparently expects that the U.S. prepares Raffi Hovhannisian for the role of the sole opposition leader for the 2007 parliamentary elections. Besides, perhaps, they suppose that it’s the very ex-Foreign Minister who will be the main opponent of the current “party of the power” in the 2008 presidential elections. So, they see an “American” in Raffi Hovhannisian. This is the explanation of the fiscal bodies’ conduct who are looking for financing resources prohibited by law in organizations headed by R.Hovhannisian, his spouse and companions-in-arms.

[…]

In light of this, one can suppose with a great share of probability that the “Parliamentary Elections of 2007″ by their scenario will hardly differ from all the previous electoral processes, i.e. they will be falsified. This was also indirectly confirmed by the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) leader Galust Sahakian on February 21 at the parliament. He announced a year before the elections that all the factions of the current parliament will be included in the National Assembly of the next convocation. The problem is not how the electors will vote but to what agreement the falsifiers will come.

This attempt to attack a man considered impeccably clean in comparison to anyone else in government and the opposition will undoubtedly fail and instead highlight his significance for the general public. It also shows that the gloves are now off, and that if the elections are indeed falsified in 2007-8, the present government should be prepared for the consequences. Elections next year and 2008 probably represent Armenia’s last chance to follow a democratic path, rather than a road to dictatorship.

It’s certainly a pity that Public TV couldn’t give a damn about the Najarians being embezzled in Armenia. Of course, they wouldn’t as it’s rumored in Yerevan that the relative of a senior government official is behind it all. Incidently, an interview I conducted with Raffi Hovannisian last year can be read here.