Will the MoD Deputy Minister be Dismissed?

The outcry of the non-governmental organizations against recent and successive suicides in the army caused a split in the ministry of defense.

The outbreak of initiative groups and the reactions of officials have caused new intrigues. The relationships of the deputy ministers of defense, Vova Gasparyan and Davit Tonoyan have become tense. Sources close to the MoD have informed us that everything began after Davit Tonoyan’s meeting on Friday with the representatives of the Army in Reality led by Artur Sakunts. Vova Gasparyan had questioned the real intentions of Sakunts’ initiative, saying that “it is an internationallyfundedNGO established for suspicious purposes.”In addition, he was offended by the calls and rude remarksdirected towards the administration of the MoD during the protest. In this context of NGO-MoD hostile relations, the other deputy minister, Davit Tonoyan, initiated a meeting with the Army in Reality Initiative. Unlike Gasparyan and the conservative generals, Tonoyan welcomed the civic initiatives, and considered the grants indispensible, as they are used for conducting expert analyses, which help conduct reforms in the ministry of defense and the army in general.

Tonoyan’s approach had a cold shower effect on Seyran Ohanyan, Vova Gasparyan, and their supporters. It especially upset them that Sakunts demanded to respond to Vova Gasparyan’s statements, and Tonoyan promised that he would discuss it with Minister Seyran Ohanyan and the department would present its viewpointon the deputy minister’sstatements. This was perceived as casting doubts on the NGO “disclosures” by Gasparyan.

The minister was upset about Tonoyan’s respectful and friendly attitude towards Sakunts. According to Hraparak’s source, the “conservative” generals have become hostile towards the progressive, pro-European Tonoyan and have turned Ohanyan against him, demanding a stern response. Yesterday, Seyran Ohanyan came back, and some say they will be satisfied with a strict reprimand; however, a significant groupdemands a more severe punishment up to and possibly a dismissal. Irrespective of how the deputy ministers, who have divided opinionson how the NGOs will be treated, Vova Gasparyan has already found a “compassionate” NGO in the field.

Recently he hosted the “We Won’t Keep Silent” Organization and bestowedmany promises. And as this organization would not keep silent, out of principle, they released a statement. As they say, Gasparyan is taking practical actions “out of spite” against Tonoyan. In short, the successive suicides and “the public outbreak”, waslike a litmus paper andrevealed the relations and intrigues in the defense system.

Source:  www.hraparak.am