PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
E-mail: root@acnis.am or info@acnis.am
Website:

September 30, 2005

ACNIS Polls Target Armenia’s Regional and Communal Development

Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
today convened a policy roundtable to sum up the results of the two public
surveys it simultaneously conducted in September on local development and
governance perceptions in Yerevan and all Armenia. 1000 respondents from all
regions of Armenia except the capital participated in the first poll, while
500 Yerevan residents took part in the second.

ACNIS director of research Stiopa Safarian greeted the audience with opening
remarks and made a comparative analysis of the two polls. According to their
findings, there is a marked difference between the socioeconomic development
of Yerevan and that of the remaining regions. Accordingly, 50.3% of the
respondents living in the regions find this disparity to be very
significant, 35.2% significant, and only 11.3% insignificant. The results
among Yerevan residents are 49.6%, 40%, and 8.2% respectively, fairly close
to the opinions of the first group of respondents.

It is unfortunate that people living both in the regions and in Yerevan have
a desire to move away from their permanent places of residence: 44.7% of
regional respondents and 37.9% of those living in Yerevan express such an
inclination. The percentage of those who do not want to leave constitutes
43.7% in the regions and 52.5% in the capital city. Of interest is that
whereas a plurality, namely 15.4%, of those who want to move from the
regions prefer Yerevan as their new destination, most Yerevan dwellers have
their sights set abroad, particularly the United States at 8.6%, Russia
7.8%, and Europe 5.8%. The other peculiarity refers to the causes for
leaving their places of habitation. Among the respondents from the regions
the primary reasons are unfavorable living conditions and unemployment,
48.1% for each. For 45.1% of capital residents it is the uncertainty of
their future, though 44% of them also point to unfavorable living conditions
and 30.1% to unemployment. This notwithstanding, an almost equal
preponderance of the two respondent groups, more than 70%, is convinced that
finding a job and earning money is much easier in Yerevan than in the
regions.

According to the surveys, agriculture, at 48.1%, has the greatest
development potential in the regions, while in Yerevan it is trade and
commerce with a result of 26.7%. As indicated by 47.1% of the respondents
living in the regions, the most promising branch of agriculture in their
place of residence is farming, followed by cattle breeding at 29.4%,
agricultural products 22.4%, small cattle breeding 19.7%, and beekeeping
9.6%.

It also is noteworthy that the participants of both surveys favor the
election of local community leaders. To the question “Would you like to
elect your regional governor?,” 63.5% of regional participants respond in
the affirmative, with 10.4% opposed. Regarding a corresponding query on
election of the mayor of Yerevan, 62% of capital residents say “yes” and 14%
“no.” The questionnaires make it clear that only 22.8% of the respondents
from the regions are satisfied with the activities of their community
leaders, whereas in Yerevan this rating is a mere 19.2%. On the contrary,
49.6% and 50.6% respectively are dissatisfied with the work carried out by
the person in charge of their community. Even more, a large percentage has
no confidence whatsoever in its community leader. 45.6% of the republic-wide
respondents maintain that their regional governor impedes the development of
the region or has no role in it at all, and 60.5% of survey participants
from the capital city say the same of their mayor. On the matter of the
current territorial-administrative division of Armenia’s regions, 40.5% of
the first and 24.6% of the second respondent groups express discontentment
over the regional layout.

During his policy intervention on contemporary problems facing local
government, prefect Davit Petrosian of the Nor Nork district of Yerevan
brought forth the example of his own neighborhood and highlighted recent
institutional changes, such as the collection of property tax by the
boroughs, which have increased the community budget and solved many
problems. “The relationship between community bodies and condominia needs
legislative clarification. It is also necessary that jurisdiction over the
schools be transferred over to the communities, and empowerment of the
councils of elders be further elucidated and enlarged,” Petrosian said.

In his address, deputy chairman Davit Tumanian of the Association of
Community Financists talked about the prospects for improving local
administration in Armenia. “Overall, this domain is legislatively regulated,
but it requires further fine-tuning. In order to consolidate the local
government system, it is indispensable for the National Assembly to adopt a
strategy for decentralization.”

The formal interventions were followed by contributions by Sos Gimishian
from the Association of Community Financists; chairman Aram Grigorian of the
Association of Condominium Presidents; analyst Hripsime Manukian from the
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Monitoring and Assessment working group;
chairman Aram Mailian of the Political Discussion Club; analyst Armen
Galstian from the International Center for Human Development; lecturers
Vilik Yedigarian and Haik Chilingarian from the Academy of Public
Administration; analyst Gor Hakobian of the Institute for Democracy and
Human Rights; ACNIS analysts Syuzanna Barseghian and Hovhannes Vardanian;
National Citizens’ Initiative coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian, activists
Gohar Isakhanian and Armen Martirosian; and several others.

Among the respondents from the regions 9.3% are 16-20 years old, 25.4%
21-30, 22.9% 31-40, 20.2% 41-50, 10.4% 51-60, 7.1% 61-70, and 2.6% 71 and
above. 45.7% are male and 54.3% are female. Among them 31.8% have received
higher education, 10.6% incomplete higher education, 24.6% secondary
specialized, 29.4% secondary, and 3.2% have incomplete secondary education.
44.6% are employed, 34.8% unemployed, 11.5% are pensioners and welfare
recipients, and 8.8% are students.

In the Yerevan poll, 13.3% are 16-20 years old, 30% 21-30, 15.6% 31-40,
21.7% 41-50, 11.6% 51-60, 4,6% 61-70, and 2.2% 71 and above. 40% are male
and 60% are female. Among them 49.2% have received higher education, 13.2%
incomplete higher education, 16.4% secondary specialized, 17.6% secondary,
and 3.2% have incomplete secondary education. 54% are employed, 24.6%
unemployed, 8.2% are pensioners and welfare recipients, and 12% are
students.

Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K.
Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves
as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges
facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also
aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider
understanding of the new global environment. In 2005, the Center focuses
primarily on civic education, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center or full graphics of the poll results,
call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; e-mail
root@acnis.am or info@acnis.am; or visit or
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress