PRESSING THE CASE AGAINST LAW AIMED AT RADIO

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000840 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO AM SUBJECT: PRESSING THE CASE AGAINST LAW AIMED AT RADIO LIBERTY REF: YEREVAN 829 Classified By: Steve Banks, Pol/Econ Chief, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (SBU) CDA worked the phones June 27-28 to raise our concerns about pending legislation that appears aimed at shutting down RFE/RL broadcasts in Armenia. He spoke with president chief of staff Armen Gevorgian, twice with State and Legal Affairs Committee chair David Harutyunian, and finally with Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian. Gevorgian promised to convey our concerns to the president, but hedged, suggesting that we all wait and see how the legislation unfolds in the parliament. Gevorgian also grumped that "it seems everything is somehow connected to Millennium Challenge," in response to CDA's point that new laws whose transparent purpose seems to be to shut down the USG's Radio Liberty news broadcasts would likely not sit well with the MCC Board. ¶2. (SBU) Committee Chairman David Harutyunian, of the ruling Republican Party, took our concerns seriously and later spoke against the draft bill during the parliamentary floor debate, as did opposition leader Raffi Hovhanissian and independent parliamentarian Victor Dallakian. Harutyunian called back late in the day to let us know that parliament appeared poised to pass the draft language on first reading late June 28, and to enact it on second reading June 29. He advised that the best (perhaps only) way to delay this would be for us to convince the government to pull it back. ¶3. (SBU) CDA then reached PM Sargsian by phone to again outline our deep objections to this legislation, and express how this would be seen in Washington. Sargsian was reassuring. He assured CDA that however this plays out legislatively, his government had no intention of restricting Radio Liberty broadcasts and that these transmissions would not ultimately be restricted or disadvantaged. ¶4. (SBU) A/DCM passed our strong reservations to FM Oskanian's executive assistant/alter ego, Salpi Ghazarian, to convey to the minister. CDA and other emboffs will another opportunity during a previously scheduled meeting with National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torossian June 29. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: We have little doubt that this legislative push is coming from the Presidency, which has made clear to us its annoyance with Radio Liberty's election-period editorial tenor. The National Assembly -- firmly under ruling party control, notwithstanding Harutyunian's principled objections -- appears set to follow instructions. More interesting and less clear to us is the prime minister's role in this. The message from Sargsian was essentially "don't worry, I'll take care of this," though it seemed he would not move to block parliamentary passage of the draft amendments. We are not sure exactly what this means. Our guess is that this may be an example of a policy tussle between the offices of the president and prime minister. Our growing sense -- not yet well substantiated -- is that there are behind-the-scenes struggles going on between the offices of the president and prime minister on the directions, ways, and means of government decision-making during this long transition period to Sargsian's widely-presumed accession to the presidency in early 2008. Sargsian's slightly puzzling response may be a symptom. GODFREY