HOVHANNESIAN: ARF IS CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE SYSTEM

Yerkir
12.02.2008 15:25

Yerevan (Yerkir) – ARF presidential candidate Vahan Hovhannesian,
a member of the ARF bureau, visited Lori Region on February 12. He
met with voters in the town of Spitak, where over 2,000 people have
already signed contracts with him. Hovhannesian said he is happy to
see rapidly growing construction but he is saddened with the discontent
of the people for the conditions they live in.

"Back in 1990s, we were demanding that Lori and Shirak regions be
announced free economic zones and with the help of a flexible tax
policy, to allow people in these regions rebuild their regions,"
Hovhannesian said. He said that the population of these regions
emigrate because of unsatisfactory conditions. Only importers make
big profits.

"The authorities say: ‘What’s the difference whether the economy is
developing due to domestic production or imports?’ I say there is
a difference. The domestic producers should be encourage to create
more jobs.

I am for those who invest here and not for those who import cigars
and whiskey and enriches customs bureaucrats. I’ll give privileges
to domestic businessmen," he said. He promised he will eliminate
monopolies and deliver freedom but he said the freedom would come only
when an individual is capable of feeding his family by his own work.

He spoke of two injustices in the country: one is that there is
development in the country but regular people do not gain from it;
the other one is that the development is only in Yerevan, and people
want to move to Yerevan seeking better life.

He said the wrong situation in Armenia began when the Armenian
Pan-National Movement came to power and criminal groups got hold of
economic powers.

Today, the fight is going on between the old and the current regimes
who are engaged in wrong policies.

"Who said that the choice is between the bad and the worse? There is
a party that can change the system, and that party is the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation," Hovhannesian said.

"We have to demolish the system with the help of your votes," he
said. "My team is the best one in Armenia, the most professional
one. I will restore the constitutional order in the country and I
will begin it from my own team."