Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan is still in the center of criticism of political, expert, and journalist circles. The Premier and his government are accused of numerous mistakes, including the highest level of monopolization of economy, growing prices, unemployment, poverty and emigration.
The government and the Premier are criticized for non-fulfillment of their promises to fight major monopolies. Monopolies continue to improve their position. “It is impossible to stop migration in the state which doesn’t plan to spend money and where oligarchs don’t intend to invest their revenues into the country’s economy. The only hope is that people will leave the country to earn some money,” the former prime minister (1992-1996), MP from the opposition fraction the Armenian National Congress, Grant Bagratyan, says.
“The economy is destroyed; poverty is huge; everybody escapes the country, while the Premier smiles and sings songs. He should take part in a waste-of-skin contest. He is an awful economist and an awful singer,” says a member of the social-democratic party Ganchak, Gurgen Egiazaryan.
Along with heavy criticism by the opposition, Tigran Sarkisyan is still on focus of the off-shore row. Internet portal Hetq continues publishing information giving details about the scandal. Meanwhile, the case which seems to be typical money laundering is simply hushed up – the off-shore row burst in late May, and now it is late September.
Moreover, according to information of the local mass media, two months ago the National Security Service of Armenia sent a special group to Cyprus for investigating circumstances of the off-shore scandal: to gather information about Sarkisyan’s property in Cyprus and criminal aspects in the Premier’s steps.
Why does President Serge Sargsyan prefer not to mention the story? In Armenia when one is asked why the President doesn’t dismiss Premier, people joke: “How can President dismiss Premier who is criticized more than himself?”
However, the joke is truthful. It is quite possible that psychologically Tigran Sarkisyan takes a part of protest attitudes against the President. From this point of view the Premier is a very comfortable figure. But this is only one of reasons. In fact neither the President’s team nor the government has any clear plan on taking the country out of the difficult economic situation. Probably it is the main reasons for maintaining status quo without any changes in many spheres, including the question on the Premier’s dismissal. Moreover, any activities on taking the country out of the difficult economic situation have to be directed against oligarchs. But as the power involves clan and oligarchy capital, it is not interested in changes. If the President intended to dismiss Tigran Sarkisyan, it would be done after convincing information against him in the off-shore scandal.
On the other hand, as a politician Sarkisyan is obedient to the President, he provides policy which satisfies Serge Sargsyan and no problems for him occur.
After Segre Sargsyan’s statement on the country's intention to join the Customs Union, the Armenian mass media began to discuss possible shifts in the power. They are connected with appointment to the position of the Prime Minister the pro-Russian politician, the former head of the presidential administration Karen Karapetyan.
To be continued
