NO POSITIVE SHIFT IN RESPECT OF FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS NOTICED IN ARMENIA, ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVE CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Oct 31, 2008
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The subject of the regular, October
31 discussion held within the framework of the program under the title
Formation and Establishment of Political Culture in Armenia held by the
National Press Club jointly with the U.S. National Democratic Institute
was Corruption in Armenia and Ways of Overcoming It. As Gagik Melikian,
a member of the NA RPA faction, said, corruption was born with the
mankind and will be liquidated with the mankind. According to him,
one can fight to reduce its volumes but not to liquidate it. In
G. Melikian’s opinion, both the current and former authorities have
been implementing various events to reduce corruption in Armenia. In
particular, a group on fighting corruption, a monitoring group have
been formed, rather large amendments have been made in the legislative
sphere. However, the results are not satisfactory yet.
Vachagan Khachatrian, a representative of the Armenian National
Congress, said that no step is undertaken in that direction in Armenia
and no positive shift is noticed. According to him, the evidence of
it is the results of the studies conducted by independent experts,
according to which Armenia is numbered among countries having
a high degree of corruption. In V. Khachatrian’s opinion, proper
conditions need to be created to liquidate corruption in the country,
in particular, democracy need to be established.
According to his estimation, the most corrupted system in Armenia is
the political one, especially in the preelection period.