Armenpress

SURVEY FINDS SOCIETY’S TOLERANCE AS MAJOR REASON OF
CORRUPTION

YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS: A recent public
opinion survey designed and conducted to learn the
public’s perception of corruption has revealed that
nearly 70 percent of respondents are unaware of an
anti-corruption strategy designed by the government to
crackdown on this crime, 85 percent have no idea that
there is a prime minister-affiliated anti-corruption
council and 92 percent do not known that there is a
council-affiliated corruption monitoring commission.
The survey was conducted by Armenia Office of the
Berlin-based Regional Development Center/Transparency
International organization. Its chairwoman Amalia
Kostanian said today that almost half of respondents
believe that corruption volumes can be reduced and
restricted, while some 20 percent believe it can be
cut drastically.
Another finding of the massive study is that 9 of
10 Armenians regard corruption as a major problem.
Simultaneously 9 of 10 respondents pointed out fair
elections as a way to crackdown on it. Interestingly,
41 percent describe corruption as ‘crime,’ while
almost 12 percent as ‘immoral deed."
In a sharp contrast to a 2002 survey, the number of
people who believe that corruption is an integral part
of Armenian realities has surged five times to 68
percent. According to 70 percent of respondents, the
already former road police service was the most
corrupted body, while a 2002 study found that along
with road police most corrupted were the armed forces
and health sector.
Unlike the 2002 study, according to which the
majority of respondents mentioned ineffective
application of laws as the major reason of corruption,
the latest study has found that it is the society’s
tolerance towards such crimes.