ARMENIAN OLIGARCHS MUST BE ‘CANNIBALIZED’ BUT IT IS TITANICALLY DIFFICULT

ArmInfo
2010-05-13 20:39:00

ArmInfo. How to overcome the influence of a big business in Armenia
and should the local oligarchs be "cannibalized"?, participants in
May 13 meeting, organized by "Sardarapat" Movement in the office of
the International Institute for Democracy and Law, asked themselves.

Former Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan voiced an opinion
that it is impossible to fight against oligarchy: "once you grab from
the today’s, another ones will appear". Moreover, people’s solidarity
should be achieved to fight against such a phenomenon. "Unfortunately,
our people is not able to unite to solve social problems. A threat of
genocide or war can mobilize us like in case with Nagorno Karabakh,
however, we have not yet realized that social problems and development
of economy are of highest national priority and require direct
interference of the people", Bagratyan said. He also said that no
people of the world shows such a tolerance like Armenians: "We prefer
to pay the electricity bills as per unreal tariffs, at the same time,
we tell our children that there is no money to buy bread. We endure
ungrounded raising of tariff rates for water and gas, and no one asks
why the Competition Protection Commission, which is called to protect
the consumer interests, actually protects the oligarchic structures’
interests. "Raising of tariff rates for water in Gyumri was grounded
by 80% losses in the system, while this 80% is nothing more than water
consumption by local "businessmen" who do not wish to pay for water.

So, it turns out that milk costs cheaper than water", the oppositionist
said.

Bagratyan thinks that problems are available not only in the country’s
economy but also in all the spheres of the population’s life.

According to him, science and education are not developed at present,
that is caused also by drafts. Military service should be compulsory
for everyone, or the Army should be switched over a contract basis,
whereas the country’s Army is in a more dire state. "Today, Army is
a great financial mafia. Officers receive huge sums from soldiers,
moreover, from both those who serve and who don’t. Soldiers are used
as a free manpower", H. Bagratyan said.

Bagratyan thinks that there will be no essential changes unless the
society applauds to what must be condemned – to thievish habits of the
powers that be, their impudence, behavioral pattern, etc. "There are
singular cases in the world history when oligarchs headed toward the
power, while in Armenia all the oligarchs rush to the power. The day
when driving a car valued at $200,000 or wearing a golden chain becomes
a bad manner in a poor state, is around the corner, Bagratyan said.

"To be or not to be: a nation". H. Bagratyan called on to think over
a real threat of loss of a nationhood: "There are many nationalities
today who succeeded to become a nation, like there are many of those
who have lost their language and state and turned from a nation into
a nationality. Today’s way of development is a way to nowhere. We
have to unite and take real steps today to withstand as a nation".

According to Bagratyan, Armenia loses even in comparison with
neighbouring Georgia: "Every busybody in town laughed at Georgia,
however, the current economic situation is better there than
here. The time will show if Saakashvili’s foreign policy is not
correct enough, however, that fact that he succeeded to take the
country out of economic stagnation is indisputable. This is proved by
a tendency of recent withdrawal of business from Armenia to Georgia,
since it is easier to develop entrepreneurship there in both legal
and actual aspect".

It is the former prime minister’s belief that the problem should
be solved through revision of laws, as well as clear distinction of
business and policy. H. Bagratyan also confessed that there is yet
no one on the horizon to be able to get through this titanic task.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress