WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE STATE?

Lragir.am
06 April 06

Visiting Armrusgasard April 5, President Robert Kocharyan confirmed
the plan “price of Russian gas – Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant 5th
generating unit.” Of course, the president did not exclude subtleties
in a new Russian-Armenian property agreement, but he announced that
an investment program would be implemented with the Russian party. As
Robert Kocharyan assured on TV, this program would enable modernization
of the thermal power plant, allowing more sustainable energy generation
and reducing dependence on gas. Thus, Russians have agreed to a plan
which will reduce the dependence of Armenia on them. It is difficult
to believe, on the other hand, that the president is not telling
the truth or he is not telling the whole truth. Moreover, it is even
difficult to suggest that the president does not know the whole truth.

On the other hand, if Robert Kocharyan announced something, it is
the reality. However, the problem is that Robert Kocharyan spoke to a
camera, and it is not known which mass media the camera belongs. His
words were spread through TV channels. No news reporters were invited
to cover Robert Kocharyan’s visit to Armrusgasard. This is not an
exception, but with regard to these issues it is necessary to have a
closer contact with the public through a wider news coverage, which
the president of Armenia has not done for ages. In the meantime,
the society is not merely interested in the modernization of the 5th
generating unit of the thermal plant and the price at which gas will
be supplied to people, but also other questions emanating from these.

For instance, are there guarantees that the plan of modernization of
the thermal plant would not the same fate as all the other companies
transferred to Russia in repayment of the government debt? Or when
the president announces that price of gas will go up by at least
10-15 per cent for the population, one may wonder who is going to
cover the remaining 65-70 per cent of 80 per cent increase of the
price of gas to be paid to Armrusgasard. The government publicly
assumes compensation. The other question that occurs is why the
government should compensate if the Public Utilities Commission had
made a hasty decision. Or why the commission made a hasty decision,
and if anyone from the government is going to find it out, or if the
reason for hastiness is known to the government, or maybe this reason
is visible or tangible. If we assume that the government is going to
compensate to Armrusgasard, the question is on what money.

Maybe the money of taxpayers? But the money of taxpayers is spent
under the law on the budget, and nothing of the kind is set down
in that law. It is not set down that the taxpayers must pay for the
mistakes of the authorities in governance and foreign policies. If
there are other means, it is interesting to know where these come
from: loan, grant, privatization, personal savings of government
officials. It is also interesting to know why the president, who
usually had consultations in his office, decided to go himself. The
president did not say a single word about transferring the shares of
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline in the context of the gas price talks.

Why? Is it real or not? The president could have refuted it but he
did not. Whereas he should have assured the society that we are not
going to give the pipeline, essential to our energy security, to a
country we want to be less dependent on in terms of energy.

Questions are too many, and no doubt the president’s answers
to these questions would give rise to new questions. Probably,
Robert Kocharyan avoided meeting news reporters to save time, and
considered it enough to broadcast the video on several channels. Or
maybe answering these questions is inferior to the competence of the
president. In this case the president could instruct a top official
to give up attempts of reassuring people with a heroic mystery on
their face, and give true information to public on what is happening
with the state property of the Republic of Armenia, the policies on
energy security, and the Republic of Armenia in general. Finally,
the state has the right to know what is happening with itself. Maybe
the state could tell something.