STATE BUDGET TO BECOME A HOME POLITICAL EVENT

A1+
[01:24 pm] 21 December, 2006

Government Gets Strictures on Leaving Debates on the state budget
continue in Stepanakert and promise to become a home political
event. At least, the attitude of the members of parliament shows this.

Vahram Atanesyan, the leader of the Democratic faction, had criticized
not only the draft budget but also the government’s economic and tax
policies of the past 6 years in an interview with the KarabakhOpen.com
before the parliamentary debates started.

The leader of the faction of the parliament majority over the
past 6 years stated that there is no development in the country,
Karabakh has taken the track for a country of consumers, which is
not appropriate for a state which was proclaimed sovereign by its
constitution. Despite the double-digit indexes, everyone can see
that the economy is not developing, Vahram Atanesyan said. He noted
that the tax policy conducted by the government from 2000 to 2005 was
not effective. 70 percent of the budget is foreseen for entitlement
programs, and only 800 million drams for the development of small and
medium-sized business. It means that the economy is not developing,
Vahram Atanesyan says.

Budget receipts total 33 billion drams. The government supplies 11
billion. Nagorno Karabakh will get an interstate loan of 19 billion
drams from Armenia. "We heavily rely on the interstate loan. But who
knows what will happen in Armenia after the parliamentary election,
who knows what force will come to power?"

Vahram Atanesyan said.

Nevertheless, the Democratic faction did not ask questions to the
government during the debate on December 19. Instead, the members of
the Hayrenik faction kept the minister of finance Spartak Tevosyan
at the rostrum for an hour and a half, who was dissatisfied about
this. Moreover, the questions were rather sharp. For instance,
why has the government foreseen 400 million drams in 2007 for the
construction of the new home of the National Assembly if building is
over, and only the interior furnishing remains?

The three members of ARF Dashnaktsutyun-Movement 88 were quiet. They
did not need to speak because the parliament majority assumed the role
of the opposition and were criticizing the government. As if this
majority had not approved the previous budgets of the government,
adopted amendments to the tax legislation and heard the budget
statements.

What has changed now? Why did the political parties start criticizing
the government? We can only make suggestions. According to the NKR
Constitution, soon the government must abdicate responsibility and
a government with a new structure must be formed. In addition, the
parliament will have more powers in forming a government (according
to the Constitution, the head of state names prime minister with the
approval of the parliament).

Perhaps the political parties have aspirations to the executive
body although the government is not formed by the parliament
majority. At the same time, they are also trying to solve the problem
of propaganda. Hence, the uncertainty in Armenia apparently causes
disturbance in Karabakh. And since nothing is clear, everyone will
be thinking about their interests, and if necessity arises, they may
sacrifice their teams for their interests.