Yesterday the Azg newspaper published an article, which had a subtitle Bagratyan’s Oligarchic Contacts. The main idea is the following – since the former Prime Minister criticizes Tigran Sargsyan and the latter fights against the oligarchic phenomena in the economy to the best of his ability, Mr. Bagratyan willingly or unwillingly is the oligarchs’ instrument, their mouthpiece. The text of the article was written by a member of the Prime Minister’s entourage, a like-minded person, if not the Prime Minister himself. Generally, I would like these economists to debate face to face – by the way, Aravot has that format – and not under noms de plume or through commentators putting forward their ideas. But in this case, it is secondary.
There are absolutely accurate claims in the above-mentioned article. It is right that, for example, the current Prime Minister is not from among the oligarchic environment and they would like to have their “own” head of the Cabinet. Let me add for my part that this was probably one of the reasons why the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) didn’t join the coalition. The Republican leadership doesn’t have particularly warm feelings for Tigran Sargsyan either. The claim that this very oligarchic system destroys the economy is also right. It is hard for me to say what Hrant Bagratyan whose criticism is merely professional has to do with all that.
However, it is not like the current Prime Minister is a sliver of light in the darkness, Commissar Catania courageously fighting against the Mafia. This is not the case, when it is possible to stay in the system being its secret opponent. The Prime Minister has to say straightforwardly and explicitly who and how prevented him from carrying out his programs of developing the country and to do it only, as they say, by constitutional means – to try to win the support of the parliament. If he doesn’t do that, then he doesn’t differ from the oligarchs that have been ostensibly “impeding” him.
Imagine, say, a man whose monthly salary is 100 thousand AMD and who tries to provide for his family with that money. Does he care whether Tigran Sargsyan is oligarchs’ friend or secret enemy? He doesn’t give a hoot also about whether the Prime Minister will be a person who will show traits of an intellectual or an absolute moron who smacks his lips while chewing barbeque. For that person, there are two economic indexes – his salary and the prices of products and services. He looks at the reality from that perspective and when those
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two indexes don’t correspond to each other, he blames the government, as a whole, the Cabinet in the first place.
That is the very reason why Prime Ministers become a scapegoat from time to time. Hrant Bagratyan will confirm that.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
