HUNT ON OLIGARCHS

[Yervant1]

HUNT ON OLIGARCHS

Naira Hayrumyan

 

Story from Lragir.am News:

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27398.html

Published: 10:37:24 - 17/09/2012

 

The news that United States District Court fined Vardan Ayvazyan by

over 37 million USD excited the social networks. Different options

of holding Ayvazyan responsible, up to handing the case to Interpol,

are being considered. But the important thing is that we can see a

new tendency of international intervention in Armenia's fight against

the oligarchy.

 

Anti-oligarchy fight supposes inevitable redistribution of property,

and since Armenia is unable to deal with confiscation of property

unlawfully acquired by the oligarchs, the U.S. has decided to get

involved.

 

This tendency is supported by the appeal of Vahe Avetyan's sister Nvard

to the international organization to make an "Avetyan list" like the

"Magnitsky list', which would ban entrance of lawbreaker oligarchs

to foreign countries and would freeze their accounts and capitals.

 

It is evident that "conscience" calls would have no influence since

the government defends their capital and property while property is

their "Achilles' heel" and those who want to uproot oligarchy should

begin with their property.

 

They will really need the support of the international community

because the authorities of Armenia keep protecting property and not

allowing even their rivals to get closer to it. Not only foreign

companies but also the Armenian Diaspora can sue Armenian oligarchs.

 

Look what is happening to the Armenian Syrians. They come here,

see that everything is already occupied by oligarchs and leave. How

many Diaspora Armenians who have been deceived and suffered from

corruption and monopoly will be found? Even if a very small part of

them reveals the oligarchs' deeds in their countries, the oligarchy

in Armenia will shattered.

 

It is not ruled out that the "hunt on oligarchy" underway in Armenia

is already supported by international organizations which shout that

oligarchy is an obstacle to integration in civil systems. On these

days, the French Slate published a sad article about Armenia which

dwells also on the issue of oligarchs, an evil that Armenia is unable

to fight, which has covered the whole country like a tumor.

 

Five more days and Ruben Hayrapetyan will not be able to withdraw his

resignation. If he does not, he will lose his immunity. We already

hear him say that he is a scapegoat. Perhaps, Vardan Ayvazyan will

be the next scapegoat and will be forced to pay 37 million USD and

go bankrupt.

 

But these things will happen only if Serzh Sargsyan realizes that the

oligarchs destroy the country and push him into the abyss. If he does

not understand this, the international community will "explain". It

is not ruled out that soon we will learn about a suit against Samvel

Alexanyan who is a "professional" in counterfeiting. There are so many

breaches that it is not difficult to make a list of these people and

ban their access to other countries and confiscate their property.

[Yervant1]

TIME TO END HYPOCRISY

Naira Hayrumyan

 

Story from Lragir.am News:

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments27400.html

Published: 11:27:45 - 17/09/2012

 

Since the president's Control Service has disclosed breaches in state

procurement, and the prime minister has not denied anything and only

promised to be more attentive, Serzh Sargsyan had better send this case

to the office of the prosecutor general. He has certainly instructed

the Prosecutor General to deal with this issue, at the same time,

warning the ministers that they will be punished if something similar

occurs. Hence, the old sins, those already revealed by the Control

Service, are forgiven.

 

We can see the same attitude of the president and the parliament to the

parliament's Control Chamber, which reveals monstrous mismanagement

but no one is held responsible. The only official sacked after such

revelations was the ex-head of the Pension Fund Vazgen Khachikyan

who has not faced court so far.

 

With these facts in place scathing remarks not to pilfer the budget

sound hypocritical. Similarly, Ishkhan Zakaryan reading the report of

the Control Chamber during the meeting of parliament looked rather

hypocritical. People directly related to those revelations were

sitting quietly in their chairs in the hall listening and thinking

to themselves that the speaker was just prattling.

 

Hypocritical was also the prime minister's answer who promised to

be more attentive. This means that so far the prime minister was not

sober and did not understand the ongoing processes. It is not clear

what he will do when he gets more attentive. Will be uproot oligarchy?

 

The oligarchy's goal is to make wealth on the treasury. If the

businessmen have "preferential" access to the public budget, if they

manage these funds, the budget will never be protected even if the

government gets more attentive. The oligarchs will continue to listen

ironically to Ishkhan Zakaryan and ignore Serzh Sargsyan's anger and

as long as the same person or the same group of people win all the

state procurement tenders.

 

It is time to put an end to this hypocrisy because it is only for

those who still believe in the government. In Armenia, there are

not such people anymore and all these shows are not worth a penny if

those responsible are not punished. And not one or two, and only for

political reasons, as Margar Ohanyan and others, but on absolutely

legal grounds.

 

In Armenia, the civic movement against the oligarchy is growing. More

and more people realize that the oligarchs who usurped power and

national wealth are vulnerable, and it is only necessary to find the

right ways of dealing with them. These people cannot be fooled with

shows, just like foreign funds, the Diaspora, financial institutions

and investors. Serzh Sargsyan will have to choose between the oligarchs

or the support of the society. During the parliamentary elections he

chose the oligarchs. What will he do this time? Many social networks

interpreted the president's speech and the pathetic response of

the Prime Minister as an attempt by Serzh Sargsyan to disband the

government. As you know, the Prosperous Armenia Party demanded

the position of the prime minister in return for supporting Serzh

Sargsyan's candidacy in the presidential elections. Serzh Sargsyan

may have agreed. But this would mean that he chose the oligarchs again.