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ARMENIA: ELITE CORRUPTION OR SHOW WITHOUT INTRIGUE
Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 20 2012
Russia
Susanna Petrosian, Yerevan. Exclusively for VK
In early November, the government chaired by Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan discussed the fight against corruption. An advisor to the
president, Georgy Kutoyan, talked about the intensification of the
government's anti-corruption policy. Participants at the meeting
proposed creating specialized working groups, which will identify
the causes of corruption and ensure transparency of programs, and to
engage civil society.
This meeting was preceded by a statement made by President Serzh
Sargsyan on the need to intensify the fight against corruption. The
president demanded that the government take decisive actions to ensure
"tangible and visible" changes. After that, the head of the Cabinet of
Ministers issued a call for cooperation with public and international
organizations, as well as political forces, including the opposition,
citing the need for a move to strengthen the fight against corruption.
Neither the "Prosperous Armenia" party nor the radical opposition
party the Armenian National Congress (ANC) have responded to the
prime minister's invitation. Naira Zohrabyan, a member of Prosperous
Armenia, said that the party will take part in a common fight if the
government answers what talks given in front of people in rural areas
cost the budget $16.6 million.
The ANC mentioned that corruption in Armenia is systemic, while the
pyramid of corruption is identical to the pyramid of power, with
Serge Sargsyan at its top. In these circumstances, the ANC refused
to participate in the meeting, calling it a theatrical performance.
Indeed, in Armenia nowadays only a few believe in the desire of
the authorities to fight corruption. The origins of mistrust lie in
everyday life, where citizens face this phenomenon everywhere - from
schools to hospitals. According to numerous polls, the population
of Armenia considers police, courts and education to be the most
corrupt spheres.
To better understand the policies pursued by the authorities
in fighting corruption we should turn to the year 2004, when a
special council to fight corruption, headed by the Prime Minister,
was established by decree of President Robert Kocharyan. The council
includes the Attorney General, the Minister of Justice and the head
of the inspection service of the president. The council held 18
meetings at which it discussed the fight against corruption. However,
neither Armenian society nor international organizations have seen
any significant changes in this area. The fight against corruption
was limited to statements of various kinds, long discussions and
presentations of anti-corruption programs. This fundamental struggle
affected only a few low level officials, doctors and university
professors.
The line-up of the council also causes many question. It mostly
consists of high-ranking officials, who are the owners of luxury
villas, and have shops and real estate officially owned by other
people.
Only in the last week, two opposition newspapers - "Fourth Despotism"
and "Armenian Times" - have published a number of incriminating
materials. According to one of them, a member of the council board,
the head of the inspection service of the president, has acquired a
large number of apartments in a luxury building in Yerevan by fraud.
Another "fighter against corruption," the Attorney General, was
presented with an expensive Jeep. The head of the State Revenue
Committee, Gagik Khachatryan, is the owner of an endless number
of businesses, shops and cafes, as well as companies importing and
manufacturing such products as "Apeiron", "Megafut," etc.
The press has repeatedly raised these issues. Similar findings have
been published in WikiLeaks. However, none of those whose names are
mentioned in numerous publications have attempted to refute this
information, let alone go to court. Apparently, the law-enforcement
agencies also have had no interest in this information.
The question of the Prosperous Armenia's representative regarding the
cost of lectures also remains unanswered. There are 900 villages in
Armenia, which means each lecture must have cost a thousand dollars.
However, this figure cannot justify the amount spent, even if the
lectures were read by Nobel Prize recipients.
The director of the Armenian office of the organization "Transparency
International", Varuzhan Hoktanian, says new manifestations of
corruption are being revealed in the world - "elite" corruption, which
also exists in Armenia, where the political elite is considered to be
above the law. Research conducted in 2010 and 2011 shows that Armenia
is 129th to 133rd in terms of elite corruption out of 180 countries.
At the core of elite corruption is the systemic corruption in its
so-called hierarchical manifestation. It perpetrates a vicious circle.
And one more important detail: the council for the fight against
corruption ceased meeting two years ago. How was it that the
government has suddenly remembered about this institution? The answer
is clear. The presidential election is taking place soon and it is
important to actualize what society is mostly concerned with. However,
in reality the "new wave of fighting corruption" has become a failed
attempt at populism or a show lacking intrigue.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/economy/33918.html
Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 20 2012
Russia
Susanna Petrosian, Yerevan. Exclusively for VK
In early November, the government chaired by Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan discussed the fight against corruption. An advisor to the
president, Georgy Kutoyan, talked about the intensification of the
government's anti-corruption policy. Participants at the meeting
proposed creating specialized working groups, which will identify
the causes of corruption and ensure transparency of programs, and to
engage civil society.
This meeting was preceded by a statement made by President Serzh
Sargsyan on the need to intensify the fight against corruption. The
president demanded that the government take decisive actions to ensure
"tangible and visible" changes. After that, the head of the Cabinet of
Ministers issued a call for cooperation with public and international
organizations, as well as political forces, including the opposition,
citing the need for a move to strengthen the fight against corruption.
Neither the "Prosperous Armenia" party nor the radical opposition
party the Armenian National Congress (ANC) have responded to the
prime minister's invitation. Naira Zohrabyan, a member of Prosperous
Armenia, said that the party will take part in a common fight if the
government answers what talks given in front of people in rural areas
cost the budget $16.6 million.
The ANC mentioned that corruption in Armenia is systemic, while the
pyramid of corruption is identical to the pyramid of power, with
Serge Sargsyan at its top. In these circumstances, the ANC refused
to participate in the meeting, calling it a theatrical performance.
Indeed, in Armenia nowadays only a few believe in the desire of
the authorities to fight corruption. The origins of mistrust lie in
everyday life, where citizens face this phenomenon everywhere - from
schools to hospitals. According to numerous polls, the population
of Armenia considers police, courts and education to be the most
corrupt spheres.
To better understand the policies pursued by the authorities
in fighting corruption we should turn to the year 2004, when a
special council to fight corruption, headed by the Prime Minister,
was established by decree of President Robert Kocharyan. The council
includes the Attorney General, the Minister of Justice and the head
of the inspection service of the president. The council held 18
meetings at which it discussed the fight against corruption. However,
neither Armenian society nor international organizations have seen
any significant changes in this area. The fight against corruption
was limited to statements of various kinds, long discussions and
presentations of anti-corruption programs. This fundamental struggle
affected only a few low level officials, doctors and university
professors.
The line-up of the council also causes many question. It mostly
consists of high-ranking officials, who are the owners of luxury
villas, and have shops and real estate officially owned by other
people.
Only in the last week, two opposition newspapers - "Fourth Despotism"
and "Armenian Times" - have published a number of incriminating
materials. According to one of them, a member of the council board,
the head of the inspection service of the president, has acquired a
large number of apartments in a luxury building in Yerevan by fraud.
Another "fighter against corruption," the Attorney General, was
presented with an expensive Jeep. The head of the State Revenue
Committee, Gagik Khachatryan, is the owner of an endless number
of businesses, shops and cafes, as well as companies importing and
manufacturing such products as "Apeiron", "Megafut," etc.
The press has repeatedly raised these issues. Similar findings have
been published in WikiLeaks. However, none of those whose names are
mentioned in numerous publications have attempted to refute this
information, let alone go to court. Apparently, the law-enforcement
agencies also have had no interest in this information.
The question of the Prosperous Armenia's representative regarding the
cost of lectures also remains unanswered. There are 900 villages in
Armenia, which means each lecture must have cost a thousand dollars.
However, this figure cannot justify the amount spent, even if the
lectures were read by Nobel Prize recipients.
The director of the Armenian office of the organization "Transparency
International", Varuzhan Hoktanian, says new manifestations of
corruption are being revealed in the world - "elite" corruption, which
also exists in Armenia, where the political elite is considered to be
above the law. Research conducted in 2010 and 2011 shows that Armenia
is 129th to 133rd in terms of elite corruption out of 180 countries.
At the core of elite corruption is the systemic corruption in its
so-called hierarchical manifestation. It perpetrates a vicious circle.
And one more important detail: the council for the fight against
corruption ceased meeting two years ago. How was it that the
government has suddenly remembered about this institution? The answer
is clear. The presidential election is taking place soon and it is
important to actualize what society is mostly concerned with. However,
in reality the "new wave of fighting corruption" has become a failed
attempt at populism or a show lacking intrigue.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/economy/33918.html