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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 27 2014
Victorious rhetoric of HHK and real resources
27 May 2014 - 10:28am
by Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) passed the new governmental
program on May 22. The creation of new jobs, the struggle with the
shadow economy, promotion of competition in business and invitation of
foreign investments were listed as the priority goals of the document.
The government plans to lift VAT at the border, form an All-Armenian
investment fund and subsidize agriculture.
Members of the opposition factions Dashnaktsutyun, Heritage,
Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) have
called the program empty words aimed only at robbing the population.
Oppositionists say that it is nothing but the old government program
with little stylistic adjustments and that the government cannot
realize the reforms.
HHK member Stepan Margaryan noted that the government of Tigran
Sargsyan had destroyed the Armenian economy, leaving it in ruins. "The
situation cannot be characterized in any other way than as a serious
threat to national security." Armen Rustamyan of the Dashnaktsutyun
faction stated: "We can compose an excellent program, then fail to
realize it and face no penalties, the way it happened with the
previous government. There is no answer to the question of why the
previous government resigned."
The four opposition parties decided to boycott the vote. Members of
the Orinats Yerkir Party (OEK - Rule of Law), which has recently
parted with the ruling coalition, skipped voting for the government
program.
The government program got 70 votes for, one against. Two MPs
abstained from voting. Discussions of the document went on according
to a classic scheme in which HHK holds the monopoly of power. The OEK
faction was suddenly abandoned by MP Karen Botoyan on the day of the
vote. Being a businessman, he decided to support the government
program. However, the Constitution forbids lawmakers from being
engaged in business. Obviously, Botoyan was under pressure. Pressure
could have also been put on independent MP Edmon Marukyan, who voted
for the government program as well. Video cameras recorded HHK members
voting for absent lawmakers oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan and brother of
ex-Prosecutor General Agvan Ovsepyan Ruben. The problem is that the
parliamentary majority consists of 69 MPs after the loss of the
support of the OEK. This brings the coalition close to the minimum
number of votes needed to pass laws, 66. HHK has been lacking
resources for a month, as seen on May 22.
The well-running governmental mechanism to achieve the desired results
has started malfunctioning. Problems with financial resources and the
unpleasant situation in the parliament do not seem to correlate with
the victorious rhetoric of the Republican Party, which claims it will
stay in power for the next 10 years.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/55717.html
May 27 2014
Victorious rhetoric of HHK and real resources
27 May 2014 - 10:28am
by Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) passed the new governmental
program on May 22. The creation of new jobs, the struggle with the
shadow economy, promotion of competition in business and invitation of
foreign investments were listed as the priority goals of the document.
The government plans to lift VAT at the border, form an All-Armenian
investment fund and subsidize agriculture.
Members of the opposition factions Dashnaktsutyun, Heritage,
Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and the Armenian National Congress (ANC) have
called the program empty words aimed only at robbing the population.
Oppositionists say that it is nothing but the old government program
with little stylistic adjustments and that the government cannot
realize the reforms.
HHK member Stepan Margaryan noted that the government of Tigran
Sargsyan had destroyed the Armenian economy, leaving it in ruins. "The
situation cannot be characterized in any other way than as a serious
threat to national security." Armen Rustamyan of the Dashnaktsutyun
faction stated: "We can compose an excellent program, then fail to
realize it and face no penalties, the way it happened with the
previous government. There is no answer to the question of why the
previous government resigned."
The four opposition parties decided to boycott the vote. Members of
the Orinats Yerkir Party (OEK - Rule of Law), which has recently
parted with the ruling coalition, skipped voting for the government
program.
The government program got 70 votes for, one against. Two MPs
abstained from voting. Discussions of the document went on according
to a classic scheme in which HHK holds the monopoly of power. The OEK
faction was suddenly abandoned by MP Karen Botoyan on the day of the
vote. Being a businessman, he decided to support the government
program. However, the Constitution forbids lawmakers from being
engaged in business. Obviously, Botoyan was under pressure. Pressure
could have also been put on independent MP Edmon Marukyan, who voted
for the government program as well. Video cameras recorded HHK members
voting for absent lawmakers oligarch Samvel Aleksanyan and brother of
ex-Prosecutor General Agvan Ovsepyan Ruben. The problem is that the
parliamentary majority consists of 69 MPs after the loss of the
support of the OEK. This brings the coalition close to the minimum
number of votes needed to pass laws, 66. HHK has been lacking
resources for a month, as seen on May 22.
The well-running governmental mechanism to achieve the desired results
has started malfunctioning. Problems with financial resources and the
unpleasant situation in the parliament do not seem to correlate with
the victorious rhetoric of the Republican Party, which claims it will
stay in power for the next 10 years.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/55717.html