On September 19, Petros Ghazaryan’s guest was the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, Vladimir Vardanyan. The process of termination of the Constitutional Court President’s powers by the National Assembly was the main topic of discussion. Petros Ghazaryan was interested in the procedural stage of the process, and the presented grounds of it.
The questions were on point and balanced, while Petros Ghazaryan, who was always been sharp when interviewing his guests, did not even remind the viewer that the guest, who spoke about the need for an authoritative judicial system and regretted that the Constitutional Court had been part of political processes for 16 years, worked in the Constitutional Court. Vladimir Vardanyan says: “The judicial system must undergo a self-cleaning process, as enhancing its reputation, and the need for independent judges, are one of the most important functions of the court.”
Why the host does not ask such question as: “What has Mr. Vardanyan done when being appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Court by Hrayr Tovmasyan and by the time when he has been an advisor? Vardanyan, in particular, referring to one of the questions raised, notes: “The Constitutional Court should be transparent enough so that no one doubts in its transparency.” Has the former CC official who raises the issue of judges’ independence in court, been independent?
Besides, Petros Ghazaryan asked: “If one compares Gagik Harutyunyan and Hrayr Tovmasyan, what kind of a comparison that will be?” Vladimir Vardanyan, noting that he does not know whether he is that competent to address this issue, tells how he worked under the two presidents; “They are lawyers of different styles. Gagik Harutyunyan was quite pedantic, which caused difficulties when working with him. Tovmasyan’s style is more intimate, friendly, open, but at the same time, transparency of processes is not ensured either.”
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You may get acquainted with Vladimir Vardanyan’s biography here: http://www.parliament.am/deputies.php?sel=details&ID=1315&lang=eng
