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TRADITION OF BUSINESS POLITICS: REPORTERS AND SHOWBIZ PEOPLE TO DIVERSIFY ASSEMBLY, BUT NOT OUTNUMBER OLIGARCHS
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
14.03.12 | 11:56
The next National Assembly is expected to be special by its diversity
of representation, however it is rather obvious now that the promise
of a year ago on no businessmen in the new parliament will not be kept.
But in the May 6 election, and historically unique, next to businessmen
MPs - currently making some 60 percent of the parliament - noted
journalists and showbiz representatives will be competing for seats
in Armenia's chief legislative body.
Tuesday popular Armenian singer Shushan Petrosyan confirmed the news
that she is joining the Republican Party of Armenia and will, most
probably, become a mandate holder as part of RPA's proportionate list.
There is widespread speculation that other notables from the
entertainment world will be included on RPA's list.
The current parliament has two deputies who had been journalists,
Haykakan Zhamanak daily's Naira Zohrabyan and H2 TV commentator Aram
Safaryan (both from Prosperous Armenia Party). In the coming elections,
seven more career media professionals will be in the coming campaign.
Political analysts often stress that reporters' presence in the
parliament will make it "more cultured and competent", however the
hope that businessmen will be replaced by reporters has proven to be
futile over the past two weeks.
While parties are busy making their what analyst Petros Ghazaryan's
calls their "Schindler's Lists" of proportionate representation,
businessmen have taken up a fierce fight for the 41 single mandates.
Despite President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that "business has
to be consistently distinguished from the state system and public
administration" - which was later interpreted as a beginning of
clearing the parliament from businessmen and was repeatedly confirmed
by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan - businessmen will still be allowed
an entry to the National Assembly.
Political analyst Sergey Minasyan, deputy director of Caucasus
Institute, is convinced that "the authorities might have indeed decided
to get rid of oligarchs, but separating business from politics is a
difficult process and takes decades to be achieved".
Ever since the formation of the second parliament of independent
Armenia (1999-2003) the number of businessmen MPs has been increasing
steadily, going from 45 to 67 in the third parliament and reaching
78 in the current one, making 60 percent of the 131-seat body.
Article 65 of Armenia's Constitution forbids parliamentarians to be
engaged in business. All of them naturally deny their involvement in
their own businesses. For example in case of the most famous oligarch
in Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan his business is claimed to be led by his
mother; or the country's largest sugar importer, chain owner of Yerevan
City supermarkets and Natalie Farm pharmacies Samvel Alexanyan often
claims all his business is run by his wife.
The majority of current businessmen-MPs have announced their
participation in the coming elections.
Samvel Abrahamyan, Vice-President of oppositional Armenian All-National
Movement party board, says big business owners make 0.05 percent
of Armenia's population with around half of the national wealth
concentrated in their hands.
"So what we have is that the country's power is in the hands of
that 0.05 percent, they make the government, the state budget is
defined based on their interests and to their advantage, so are the
tax, customs, and social policies, domestic and foreign affairs,
etc. They are the top brass controlling the security, defense and
law-enforcement agencies as well as the army. The absolute majority
of our society is deprived of a chance to represent and defend their
personal and social interests," says Abrahamyan.
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
14.03.12 | 11:56
The next National Assembly is expected to be special by its diversity
of representation, however it is rather obvious now that the promise
of a year ago on no businessmen in the new parliament will not be kept.
But in the May 6 election, and historically unique, next to businessmen
MPs - currently making some 60 percent of the parliament - noted
journalists and showbiz representatives will be competing for seats
in Armenia's chief legislative body.
Tuesday popular Armenian singer Shushan Petrosyan confirmed the news
that she is joining the Republican Party of Armenia and will, most
probably, become a mandate holder as part of RPA's proportionate list.
There is widespread speculation that other notables from the
entertainment world will be included on RPA's list.
The current parliament has two deputies who had been journalists,
Haykakan Zhamanak daily's Naira Zohrabyan and H2 TV commentator Aram
Safaryan (both from Prosperous Armenia Party). In the coming elections,
seven more career media professionals will be in the coming campaign.
Political analysts often stress that reporters' presence in the
parliament will make it "more cultured and competent", however the
hope that businessmen will be replaced by reporters has proven to be
futile over the past two weeks.
While parties are busy making their what analyst Petros Ghazaryan's
calls their "Schindler's Lists" of proportionate representation,
businessmen have taken up a fierce fight for the 41 single mandates.
Despite President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that "business has
to be consistently distinguished from the state system and public
administration" - which was later interpreted as a beginning of
clearing the parliament from businessmen and was repeatedly confirmed
by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan - businessmen will still be allowed
an entry to the National Assembly.
Political analyst Sergey Minasyan, deputy director of Caucasus
Institute, is convinced that "the authorities might have indeed decided
to get rid of oligarchs, but separating business from politics is a
difficult process and takes decades to be achieved".
Ever since the formation of the second parliament of independent
Armenia (1999-2003) the number of businessmen MPs has been increasing
steadily, going from 45 to 67 in the third parliament and reaching
78 in the current one, making 60 percent of the 131-seat body.
Article 65 of Armenia's Constitution forbids parliamentarians to be
engaged in business. All of them naturally deny their involvement in
their own businesses. For example in case of the most famous oligarch
in Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan his business is claimed to be led by his
mother; or the country's largest sugar importer, chain owner of Yerevan
City supermarkets and Natalie Farm pharmacies Samvel Alexanyan often
claims all his business is run by his wife.
The majority of current businessmen-MPs have announced their
participation in the coming elections.
Samvel Abrahamyan, Vice-President of oppositional Armenian All-National
Movement party board, says big business owners make 0.05 percent
of Armenia's population with around half of the national wealth
concentrated in their hands.
"So what we have is that the country's power is in the hands of
that 0.05 percent, they make the government, the state budget is
defined based on their interests and to their advantage, so are the
tax, customs, and social policies, domestic and foreign affairs,
etc. They are the top brass controlling the security, defense and
law-enforcement agencies as well as the army. The absolute majority
of our society is deprived of a chance to represent and defend their
personal and social interests," says Abrahamyan.