YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–President Robert Kocharian appointed on Thursday a special advisor on the fight to end endemic corruption in Armenia.
The official–Bagrat Yesayan–headed the staff of the Armenian State Commission on Securities prior to the appointment. Yesayan said that he will specialize in anti-corruption initiatives that have long been promised by the authorities.
Yesayan is a senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). In the wake of the May Parliamentary elections–the ARF pushed for the creation of a special government agency to identify and investigate fraud. The ARF’s two coalition partners–the "Republican" and "Orinats Yerkir" parties–however–did not support the idea.
In another decree–Kocharian relieved Razmik Davoyan–a presidential advisor on culture and human rights–of his duties "at his own request."
