PARLIAMENT POSSESSES THREE IMPORTANT LEVERS

Lragir.am
06 April 06

Addressing the international conference in Yerevan on the role of
National Assembly – civil society cooperation in the struggle against
corruption, the chair of the Standing Committee for Defense, Internal
Affairs and National Security Mher Shahgeldyan announced that the
parliament possesses three important levers for struggle against
corruption: anti-corruption legislation, parliamentary discussions
and public speeches, and controlling functions in the sphere of
finance. And the struggle against corruption should have external
and internal transparency.

Mher Shahgeldyan said holding such a conference is always justified
for “if there is corruption that infects the government as a disease,
new remedies must be sought for to struggle against it. The society
is waiting for this struggle to begin.” Armenia entered GRECO several
years ago but there is no visible reduction of corruption. Now Armenia
has decided to enter another international anti-corruption organization
– GOPAC. According to Mher Shahgeldyan, GOPAC involves representatives
of all the political forces of the National Assembly. “It will enable
to form political will. This is important,” said Mher Shahgeldyan.

Bagrat Yesayan, adviser to President Robert Kocharyan on corruption,
announced several days ago that the People’s Deputy Group hinders
the establishment of an anti-corruption legislation. Did MP Mher
Shahgeldyan notice such phenomena? “We have to discuss how to
bring together the political forces and work with the international
organizations. The task of the parliament is to work out tools. I
think in 10-15 days we will manage to work out clear mechanisms.”