Паст инфо

Recently the point of view of the executive director of the Transparency International Anti-corruption NGO Varuzhan Hoktanyan was published saying that the political elite of Armenia should not be above the law. The question is whether the most corrupted sectors in Armenia are still educational and judicial system, if the image has changed and in general, which are more modern perceptions of corruption.

According to V. Hoktanyan the most corrupted sectors in CIS countries remain judicial, educational, in comparison with the West where political parties are the most corrupted.

To the question if there is ‘elite’ corruption in Armenia, the executive director of the Transparency International answered ‘Of course there is’.

2010-2011 research shows that by the level of elite corruption Armenia shares 129-133 places out of 180. ‘The situation is serious, but it is not hopeless’, V. Hoktanyan said.

The research shows that usually elite corruption is revealed during the change of power; however, there are countries that managed to stay at power, but fight against corrupt elite, for instance, in case of Singapore, where the fight against corruption highly reduced the risks.

System corruption underlies elite corruption by its hierarchical expression. As an example the case of the former head of the Social Security State Service of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social issues Vazgen Khachikyan is indicated. ‘If the system was not established on the mechanism of hierarchical corruption, then the system would not function fully, things like pension payments delays would take place’ V. Hoktanyan said.

According to the speaker the worst thing in hierarchic displays of elite corruption is the budget dilapidation, cut and diminishing, which is loudly discussed in our country.

Though there is no exact research on that, but according to preliminary calculation the phenomenon of corrupt elite was formed in 2005, when the businessmen managed to interfere in legislative procedure and adopting laws, deriving from their personal business interests.

‘The post-soviet states are perceived in the world as the most corrupted in this region, except Estonia. Against that background the level of corruption in Armenia is lower than in Russia, Azerbaijan and in the Central Asia republics. However, it does not mean that we have nothing to do’ he said.

As for the means of the fight against corruption, there are two ways to eradicate it: authoritarian and democratic. ‘If Armenia chooses the path of Singapore, which is considered an authoritarian state managed to rapidly decrease the level of elite corruption, then it will have to punish the relatives and close people of the officials, who are involved in the elite corruption processes and be able to prevent budget dilapidation and cut, limit the activities of large-sized businessmen who start to dictate laws and interfere in the management of the state’ V. Hoktanyan is convinced.