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MASHTOTS PARK: CIRCUMVENTING THE LAW FOR A PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO-OP
Edik Baghdasaryan
hetq.am
13:35, May 2, 2012
So, the president of Armenia visits Mashtots Park, walks around,
and then tells Yerevan Mayor Margaryan, "You know, this isn't all
that pretty."
In essence, it took Armenia's president to make a final decision
regarding the kiosks in the park. There was no one else in government
able to go up against the interests of two oligarchs.
What does this say about the state of governance in Armenia?
If this state of affairs continues, the president will be called upon
to OK who gets to be employed as drivers and chauffeurs for state
agencies and their top honchos.
Maybe these same state officials can install some oxygen tanks on
the choked arteries of Yerevan where they can pull over and fill
their lungs with some clean air. They can hand over the keys to these
oxygen faucets to the president himself. Let the commander-in-chief
turn the spigots off and on.
Turns out that Mayor Margaryan didn't have what it takes to take an
independent decision. (See: Yerevan's Mayor Must Make a Decision That
"Goes Against the Grain"...At Least Once)
Why didn't the mayor take my advice? It would have been so simple.
"Taron, one of your great achievements was to remove the stores
on Abovyan Street. You have also been correct when it came to the
private property issues involved. Yes, you cannot build legality
based on illegality. And it is not possible to create comfort with
illegal actions," President Sargsyan told Mayor Margaryan during his
park visit.
"Dear Taron jan, you were right to say the kiosks would be taken
down in 2-3 years. But you'd agree with me that they don't make a
pretty sight. The municipality has worked effectively, no doubt,
but the area isn't pleasing to the eye. It would be best to find
another solution and dismantle all this," the president added.
Of course, the president's concerns for the park and its "looking good"
were all a sham, a convenient photo-op right before the elections.
During the past two months, the authorities had dismantled a number
of structures to defend those commercial stores - the police, judicial
system, the Yerevan Municipality - just with one purpose in mind, i.e.
so that the president could make his grand appearance in the park days
before the election and tell Taron "But you know, it ain't pretty. It
would be good to find another solution and tear all this down."
So now Mayor Margaryan has to come up with another solution to appease
the oligarchs, to compensate the owners of the stalls.
Edik Baghdasaryan
hetq.am
13:35, May 2, 2012
So, the president of Armenia visits Mashtots Park, walks around,
and then tells Yerevan Mayor Margaryan, "You know, this isn't all
that pretty."
In essence, it took Armenia's president to make a final decision
regarding the kiosks in the park. There was no one else in government
able to go up against the interests of two oligarchs.
What does this say about the state of governance in Armenia?
If this state of affairs continues, the president will be called upon
to OK who gets to be employed as drivers and chauffeurs for state
agencies and their top honchos.
Maybe these same state officials can install some oxygen tanks on
the choked arteries of Yerevan where they can pull over and fill
their lungs with some clean air. They can hand over the keys to these
oxygen faucets to the president himself. Let the commander-in-chief
turn the spigots off and on.
Turns out that Mayor Margaryan didn't have what it takes to take an
independent decision. (See: Yerevan's Mayor Must Make a Decision That
"Goes Against the Grain"...At Least Once)
Why didn't the mayor take my advice? It would have been so simple.
"Taron, one of your great achievements was to remove the stores
on Abovyan Street. You have also been correct when it came to the
private property issues involved. Yes, you cannot build legality
based on illegality. And it is not possible to create comfort with
illegal actions," President Sargsyan told Mayor Margaryan during his
park visit.
"Dear Taron jan, you were right to say the kiosks would be taken
down in 2-3 years. But you'd agree with me that they don't make a
pretty sight. The municipality has worked effectively, no doubt,
but the area isn't pleasing to the eye. It would be best to find
another solution and dismantle all this," the president added.
Of course, the president's concerns for the park and its "looking good"
were all a sham, a convenient photo-op right before the elections.
During the past two months, the authorities had dismantled a number
of structures to defend those commercial stores - the police, judicial
system, the Yerevan Municipality - just with one purpose in mind, i.e.
so that the president could make his grand appearance in the park days
before the election and tell Taron "But you know, it ain't pretty. It
would be good to find another solution and tear all this down."
So now Mayor Margaryan has to come up with another solution to appease
the oligarchs, to compensate the owners of the stalls.