Vazgen Manukyan Resigns from Public Council

The President of the Public Council, Vazgen Manukyan, has announced his resignation. In a statement, he remarked:

“The new authorities had a unique opportunity to lead our country towards development, unite the people around nationwide issues, and contribute to the welfare of our citizens by building a more democratic and efficient national state. Unfortunately, the authorities chose a different direction, and today an unprecedented atmosphere of distrust and hatred has formed in our country, resulting in a level of societal division that has never been witnessed before. This is occurring at a time when the world and our region have changed so significantly, introducing new dangers and challenges to our security and the issue of Artsakh.”

“In this context, the government's goal should have been to alleviate the existing fractures within society, create an atmosphere of solidarity, and bring the people together. One of the most effective tools for achieving this goal could have been the Public Council, which, according to the law, aims to foster mutual trust, dialogue, and partnerships between the Government, state administration bodies, and civil society institutions.”

“Instead, the authorities continue to discuss projects and take steps that further deepen the divisions within our society: this includes transitional justice, the property confiscation law without indictments, changes in the education sector, and the misuse of the judicial system for political purposes, among others.”

“At the last Public Council meeting, I informed you that I had attempted several times to meet with the Prime Minister to find common ground for alleviating the existing tension in society and to prevent certain actions through the Public Council that I consider dangerous for the state. You also know that those efforts were in vain.”

“A certain amount of time has passed since our last meeting, and again there has been no response. In this context, I consider my further activities within the Public Council to be pointless and I am resigning from the council, of which I have already informed the government in writing. I will continue to fight for the interests of our state and our people, just as I have throughout my life. I thank you all. Many of you have traveled an interesting and difficult path with me since 2009, trying to create a civilized platform, to establish a new public culture, and to find compromises for the problems, disputes, and tensions that have arisen between society and the authorities.”

“I hope that the Public Council will continue to maintain its quality and will continue to serve its objectives.”