The Armenian government, at Thursday’s Cabinet session, recognized 100 percent of shares of the Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, owned by the Tashir Group of companies, as overriding public interest.

The owner of the Tashir Group of companies is the leader of the opposition Strong Armenia alliance, Samvel Karapetyan, who is under house arrest.

The explanation of this decision states that the deprivation of the license by the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia showed that the state assessed the possible violations as capable of harming the interests of hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

The principle of “overriding public interest” allows the state to intervene when the right of citizens to receive uninterrupted and safe services is at stake, on the activities of which normal livelihoods, industry, state structures, transport, and communication systems depend, the explanation notes.

If the state body justifies that the problems in electricity distribution threaten the public interest, then the intervention may be considered lawful, the explanation states.

According to the constitution of Armenia, the right to property is not absolute and may be limited in order to ensure the overriding public interest, while observing the principles of proportionality, legality, and necessity. In this case, the overriding public interest is expressed in the need to ensure the uninterrupted provision of vital services to the population of Armenia, maintain energy security and protect public order in the country, the explanation says.

Therefore, taking into account the exceptional importance of the aforesaid company's activities, its impact on all spheres of public life, as well as the natural monopoly nature of the sector, there are sufficient grounds for recognizing its activities as an overriding public interest, the explanation adds.

The recognition of an overriding public interest in relation to 100 percent of the shares of the Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC is conditioned by the need to ensure the security of the state and society, the explanation concludes.