OPPOSITIONIST: GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA COALESCED WITH BUSINESS, FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION POPULIST

Regnum, Russia
Nov 28 2006

It is not for the first year that the government of Armenia is ruling,
thus it should know very well where the shadow sources are, member
of the Justice parliamentary faction Vardan Lazarian said during
discussion with chairman of the permanent commission on state-legal
issues of the Armenian National Assembly Rafik Petrossyan Nov 28.

The issue arises, why wasn’t it announced earlier about the budget
revenue of 70bn drams, and why have they started to talk about it right
now, REGNUM reports Lazarian to say. "It looks like bureaucratic
administration is more profitable for Armenia than the economic
growth," he observes. All this shows that the country’s government
has coalesced with business, and all the statements of the fight
against corruption are merely populist rhetoric, the deputy argues.

Rafik Petrossyan says that whatever definitions one would give
to Armenian budget 2007, the budget is a planned one. He says the
government is aware of the fact that shadow economy makes about 40%
of the whole national economy; however, the fight against corruption
is not an easy one, and the government should conduct this fight
gradually. "Moscow was not built in one day," the head of the
commission adds.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress