DISGUSTING OR CRIMINAL?
James Hakobyan

Lragir.am
25/01/10

On January 22, meeting with the members of the Supervisory Chamber and
speaking about the impermissibility of abuse, Serge Sargsyan stated
that an official wasting the public means has to get the public pity.

"Much can be forgiven to officials, but an official who "touches"
public means is the most disgusting person for the society", said
Serge Sargsyan.

At first instance, it seems quite a just and strict assessment for
the phenomenon of wasting public means. But when you try to assess
this evaluation from the point of law and right, the image comes out
to be different.

What means to be disgusting for the society? And what if we say that
the society does not feel disgust towards such an official. So what?

The disgust of the society cannot be a measurement for assessing a
criminal. There is only one measurement-the law. And an official who
"touches" public means is a criminal "touching" public means is a
crime which is to be punished by the law.

Notable, that the government, making the public’s disgust a
measurement of assessing a crime, takes up its favorite way to put
the responsibility on the public. Since the society does not feel
disgust towards these officials, they calmly abuse public means. Let
the society feel disgust towards the officials for them to be ashamed
of misusing.

This is from the series when it is the society to sell its votes during
elections, and not the governmental groups to buy them, or it is the
society to be responsible for the corruption because it gives bribes,
and not the officials who take them.

The society’s behavior, its self-conscience, legal perception, and
values are very important for the administration of a country. But
when all this is not on a necessary level to get the necessary level,
the quality of administration is to be changed, but not to say that the
society is to be changed. Consequently, not the love or the disgust of
the society is to be proclaimed the measurement for administration,
but the law is to be made such. For lawful atmosphere the disgust of
the society is not necessary to be a measurement. In such a case, the
disgust will just be reciprocal and that is all. Such an atmosphere
is to be created when a criminal will feel disgust towards the crime
because it will bring them to rather "disgusting" conditions of life.