Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

When Politics Becomes Profitable Business

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • When Politics Becomes Profitable Business

    WHEN POLITICS BECOMES PROFITABLE BUSINESS
    Vrezh Aharonyan

    Hayots Ashkhar Daily
    14 Nov 08
    Armenia

    The fact that the Ter-Petrosyan-led movement and different forces
    supporting it carry out their activity chiefly due to the financial
    resources imported from abroad is, unfortunately, a political reality
    and may have disastrous consequences for our country. Certain western
    circles legalize their sums through different channels, investing
    them in the political processes of Armenia.

    In this respect, quite an interesting chain is being created by
    "Heritage" Party (leader Raffi Hovhannisyan) and the "Armenian
    Centre of Strategic and National Research" (ASCNR), a non-governmental
    organization which is headed by the same person. The activity they have
    been carrying out over the recent years leads one to the conclusion
    that the American-funded "Heritage" concentrates its resources in the
    foundation of the "Armenian Centre of Strategic and National Research"
    which serves as a donor for the party.

    Let's try to show how the existing mechanism works, based on the
    example of Raiffi Hovhannisyan's successive visit to Los Angeles on
    October 11-29.

    As reported by our sources in America, R. Hovhannisyan and the people
    accompanying him organized the regular fundraising for the ACSNR during
    their visit to the United States at the end of October and disguised
    everything behind the veil of some receptions allegedly held on the
    occasion of the 15th anniversary of the organization. In particular,
    within the frameworks of the gathering organized on October 26 in
    Los Angeles, in the hall of "Krikor and Marylyn Bzdikyans" center,
    R. Hovhannisyan's closest people organized a fundraising-celebration,
    inviting around 300 people.

    Furthermore, each couple was to pay 1000 US Dollars.

    However, the amount of money to be paid for participating in
    the celebration aroused discontent among the invitees, forcing
    R. Hovhannisyan and his partners to reduce the sum to 500 US Dollars.

    For making the celebration more presentable and influential,
    R. Hovhannisyan invited not only well-known businessmen and benefactors
    but also Armen Liloyan, Chief Consul of the Republic of Armenia in
    Los Angeles. And the latter participated in the event (as to what
    made a person carrying out a diplomatic mission participate in an
    event not envisaged by the state protocol is unknown).

    During the event, R. Hovhannisyan and his partners managed to collect
    50 thousand US Dollars, and the sum was immediately moved to Armenia
    for meeting the expenses of the ASCNR and "Heritage". In fact,
    the leader of one of the native parliamentary parties is engaged
    in shady fundraising with the help of different people who comply
    with the instructions and orders of suspicious foreign political and
    economic circles and donate sums to R. Hovhannisyan's party. It's
    quite possible that they send political messages to R. Hovhannisyan
    who is forced to carry them out through his own party.

    After all this, there's no need to be surprised by the fact that many
    political forces and figures have nothing to do with Armenia or the
    interests of the Armenian people, and in many cases, they act against
    those interests, making politics a profitable business.
Working...
X