Tert.am

Fight Against Corruption and Not a Word About Oligarchs: Human Rights
Defender
14:26 ¢ 26.09.09

Armenia’s biggest problem is a group of authorities who have seized
the stated and centralized political and economic interests in their
hands, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center consultant
Amalia Kostanyan stated today, referring to the organization’s Global
Corruption 2009 Report.

`We look forward to the new anti-corruption strategy, which was to
have been accepted two years ago,’ Kostanyan said, adding that the
previous strategy, `according to governing authorities, was completed
very effectively in 2007.’

The Transparency International consultant stated that one of the main
drawbacks of the new draft policy is the absence of `the fight against
oligarchs.’

The human rights defender considers the biggest drawback of the
strategy is that political corruption is inadequately addressed. `It
seems that members of parliament, who don’t attend parliamentary
sessions regularly, are to blame for political corruption in Armenia,’
she said.

According to Kostanyan, the topic of financing political parties and
election is addressed more adequately in the report. `However, what is
happening during our elections, the intertwining of political and
economic interests, the misuse of administrative, human, financial
resources and mass media, of course, are not addressed at all.’