MANVEL BADEYAN: THERE WILL BE TIME WHEN BUSINESSMEN WILL REALIZE THEY SHOULD NOT GO TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. There will be time when businessmen
will realize that they should not go to the National Assembly –
economists and lawyers should become deputies. Masnvel Badeyan,
former businessman, deputy of the RA National Assembly, expressed
this opinion at the April 5 press conference.

At the same time, he noted that there are mechanisms, including
lobbyist ones, by which businessmen can influnce the National Assembly.

According to M. Badeyan, in 1999, some businessmen decided to enter the
NA as at that time some problems of business protection existed. Yet,
in his words, there has been no case when a busineesman-deputy solved
a problem to the advantage of his personal business.

M. Badeyan said that two thirds of laws adopted by the NA in 1999-2003
passed through the standing committee of financial, credit and
budgetary issues composed of businessmen-deputies. In 2004, according
to him, a negative change occured: "many businessmen deputies went
into the paliament – those who have done nothing, who have not even
entered the building of the NA." "At that time, to be a deputy was
considered to have the title of a nobleman," M. Badeyan said.