Not all governors in Armenia receive citizens, who receive continue to appear “good guys” at the expense of the state.
“Governors are appointed and discharged by the Cabinet order. Those orders of the Cabinet are verified by the President of the Republic. The governors carry out the Cabinet policy in the regions, coordinate the activities of the regional services of the administrative bodies, except for the cases provided for by the law”, Article 88.1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. This means that if (I stress IF) the governor worked well, the villages of Armenia living under the same conditions, border, highland, sparsely populated etc., should be in the same or nearly the same condition. Today, however, both villages and towns, including the capital are like each other in one way – the population leaves or saves up to leave, the villages empty. This means that the administrative power of the Republic of Armenia, the governors, do not work well.
In Yerevan, one can see complaining people from villages, the whole population of villages now outside the Government Building, now outside the Presidential Palace, now outside the National Assembly Building: “What can a resident Astghadzor do – yet another village vs. the amendments to the Law on Administrative-Territorial Division”, “Aravot”, June 11, 2010 https://www.aravot.am/old/am/articles/regions/80470/view; “What does Yervand Zakharyan’s smile conceal?”, “Aravot”, June 25, 2010, https://www.aravot.am/old/am/articles/regions/79891/view etc. We mentioned in these articles that if the villagers had to come to Yerevan led by their village headman, along with their problems, then why did the state spend millions of drams and keep regional administration?
This means that governors work badly. People do not even make a complaint or represent a problem to them, immediately to Yerevan. However, governors set up appointments with people, receive citizens of the Republic of Armenia, and listen to their problems. As early as two years ago we wrote that the majority of these citizens wanted money and the governor played a good guy through the state money, because even a resident of the capital doesn’t know all nuances of the budget, let alone a needy old man from a distant village: “Aravot”, August 28, 2009, “10 out of nine violated the law – the governors are against financial transparency and play good guys at the expense of the state” https://www.aravot.am/old/am/articles/regions.
The picture of governors’ appointments is a consolation to neither themselves, nor Armenia. According to the statistics of the past few months:
Sargis Sahakyan, the governor of Aragatsotn, set up appointments on September 30, October 21, November 11 and 18. 45 citizens were registered for four appointments, 43 were present. 39 out of 43 got financial aid. The regional administration helps some of citizens with winter fuel or in other ways that is also in the framework of the logic of financial, material aid.
Edik Barseghyan, the governor of Ararat, has set up fewer appointments with people – once on September 14 and once on November 9. Two appointments, 51 registered, 34 present and 5 – of financial nature, 9 – of household nature, 8 applications on healthcare. Healthcare and household requests were about the same fuel or money for surgery, therefore, the majority of applicants in Ararat also refer to the governor cherishing hopes for money.
The governor of Gegharkunik has set up eight appointments for the past three months – on September 14, October 4, 18, 26, November 15, 22, 29, December 6. More than 100 citizens have met the governor, more than half, 70 citizens, asked for money and got it.
Since June 28, 2011, Artur Nalbandyan, the governor of Lori, who had stated that “no personal issue will be neglected”, set up an appointment only once on October 20 yet and again there were many people who asked for money and had social problems.
Surik Khachatryan, the governor of Syunik, who has become a hero of yet another incident that led to launching criminal investigation, when he is not involved in such stories, has set up four appointments for the past three-four months – on August 31, September 27, November 3, November 8.
162 citizens were registered for appointment with Surik Khachatryan, 106 were present, and around 60 asked for financial aid and got it.
Governor of Tavush Armen Ghularyan, in power since February 26, 1999, has set up appointments once on October 20, once on November 11 and once on December 5. 23 out of 46 asked for financial aid.
9 out of 27 citizens granted an appointment with Sergey Bagratyan, the governor of Vayots Dzor, needed financial aid.
Ashot Grigoryan, the governor of Shirak since May 2010, has not set up an appointment with people.
Ashot Ghahramanyan, the governor of Armavir, does not receive people either. He received pedagogues on their professional holiday in a festive atmosphere, after the Cabinet order, he met with the residents of the Mashtots 13 dangerous apartment building, the community of the village of Voskehat, whose problem had been already solved, discussed the issue of participating in “ArmAgroForum” with heads of communities, farmers and factory managers, had a conversation with lieutenant-general Viktor Vlasov, the head of the border department of the federal security service of Russia, and colonel Alexander Zlobin, the newly-appointed commander of the Armavir border unit of the border department of the federal security service of Russia. However, he hasn’t set up an appointment with citizens.
Now, a little math. If actually 3,2 million people (in reality much less) live in Armenia, if half of these people live in Yerevan (in reality much more), it turns out that only 400-410 people out of 1,6 million living in the regions have applied to the governors. Every man – one family, one family – 4-5 members and guess 2000 people applied to the governors or 0, 1% of the people living in the regions. It is very unlikely that only 2000 people in the regions are dissatisfied with their lives and the rest enjoy their lives. The empty villages and protesting with a whole village in Yerevan testify to that. The governors’ appointment dynamics testifies to two facts – one sad, the other very sad. The people are disappointed with the government. This is the sad one. The people applying to the governors become fewer, are few, because people leave Armenia. This is the very sad one.
ARAM ZAKARYAN
P.S. All figures are taken from official sources. If the overall picture is that the governors work badly, don’t have certain procedure of receiving citizens, the governors should call their staffs to order.
