The authorities should no longer anticipate grants from “Millennium Challenge Corporation” A.Sakunts
00:00, April 18, 2011 | News
Artur Sakunts, head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor, who has been a second composition member of the MCC-Armenia Stakeholders’ Committee, referred to the statement of Mari Yovanovich, which stated that Armenia was not eligible to apply to “Millennium Challenge Corporation” for a grant as it was initially predicted.
“When I was a member of MCC-Armenia Stakeholders’ Committee, we used to stress and target at the incompliance of RA and MCC criteria and claim that the Government’s funding was at risk. We also proposed our demands to the American party. This was meant to happen even earlier”, noted Sakunts in the interview given at 1in.am.
He also reminded, “The RA authorities were notified that their responsibilities within the frames of the project weren’t fully carried out. The funding was partially terminated; however, the Government inevitably did not draw any conclusions and the authorities did not carry out their obligations. This problem naturally grew into this point. And the termination of the funding was quite predictable”.
Sakunts noted, ”Provided that electoral violations continue, rallies at “Azatutyun” square are forbidden,“A1+” is denied a broadcasting license, cases of torture at Police departments go non-stop, death cases still prevail in the military, therefore, Armenia can no more be eligible to get MCC grants”.
“It is an exceptional project. The funding and sustainability of the project is conditioned by the compliance of standards of civic, political, and economic rights”, stated Artur Sakunts.
To the question what the RA authorities should undertake to participate in the MCC funded grants, Sakunts replied, “They should give up; today’s Government cannot initiate anything”.