Taron Margaryan talks about his property, “wasted” budget of Yerevan, his MP brother-in-law, Anastasia Volochkova.
– After the presidential election, there is much talk about Serzh Sargsyan’s defeat in the administrative district of Avan. Many people expected your resignation, which hasn’t happened. Why haven’t you resigned?
– Firstly, I must stress that Serzh Sargsyan didn’t suffer a defeat in the administrative district of Avan. Unfortunately, some circles exploited the results of the presidential election to achieve political goals and show their long-standing attitude. Let me disappoint them; I don’t have reasons to resign from the office of mayor. Particularly given the results of the election; Serzh Sargsyan won in the capital, which is oppositional as a rule.
– Residents of Yerevan, in particular representatives of political forces participating in the election, mildly speaking, didn’t like that the members of the RPA would state even before the start of the election campaign that they would win. After Serzh Sargsyan’s defeat in a few communities of Yerevan, what makes the RPA be so optimistic?
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– I haven’t seen any political force participating in the election campaign that states before the election that it will lose, particularly when the Republicans have had the best chances for victory in all the recent elections. Democratic processes require improved mechanisms for holding and organizing elections in new situations. We may be defeated in some polling places; I think it is natural and normal. Mature political forces draw conclusions from that, in order to understand what the reason for this sentiment of the voters is. You will find no political party these days that is ready to state that it will suffer a defeat, and the RPA’s level has always been very high, therefore, it is obvious that any other result, except for victory, is a failure for us.
– Coverage of the city hall’s activities is used as an excuse to advertise the RPA mayor. Why do you violate the law?
– Your questions are provocative in the positive sense, which makes me be more open and honest. If the Republican mayor works well, it is the best propaganda, and the incumbent mayor doesn’t use coverage of the city hall’s work for campaign purposes. It is a different matter that perhaps some people don’t like that the city hall – and I think it is so – works well. The events and programs of the city hall are generally acceptable to residents of Yerevan and enjoy their support. I will not comment on the other claims made in the question.
– Your campaign manager and your other fellow party members stated that you had been the best mayor in the past twenty years. Is it so or is it an exaggeration?
– It is a thankless thing to comment on public opinion polls. Those are pleasant, if they point out your advantages and are considered problematic, if you are not number one. It applies to everyone, naturally, to me too. Sociology develops in Armenia as much as the other sciences; every field of activity gradually makes progress. I don’t want to answer the question whether I am the best mayor or not. At least, my colleagues refer to public opinion polls while talking about that, and I think that talking about that too much aims at causing a divide in our team, which, however, is not successful. I want to state that I highly appreciate the work of former mayors of Yerevan. Every new mayor of Yerevan is considered as the continuer and successor of the previous one’s work, and everyone becomes a unique participant in Yerevan’s development and contributes to the capital’s development. No one is guaranteed against shortcomings and mistakes in the process of work; naturally, I also have shortcomings.
– The brother of your wife has become MP thanks to you, and that fact has been exploited. Why have you increased your vulnerability like the others?
– This issue was exploited in the past. The residents of Avan elected Robert Sargsyan MP. Yes, perhaps this was a vote of confidence in me to a certain extent. However, being related to current politicians doesn’t mean that this relationship should become a reason for exploitation, and their political or professional career should suffer because of that.
– You have met and meet many people by virtue of office, but your meeting with Anastasia Volochkova, a scandalous Russian dancer, is still remembered, and they say that she will come to Yerevan in the next few days specifically for your election campaign. Why is your meeting with Volochkova, in particular, discussed and when will Volochkova come to Yerevan again?
– Let me answer this question a little jokingly; when another article about Volochkova was published by an information agency, my colleague and friend Armen Ashotyan said half in jest half in earnest: “Taron, don’t lose heart; one part envies Volochkova, the other part envies you.” There was a grain of truth in what he said. More seriously, glamour and “yellow style” are common in modern politics; I treat it understandingly.
– According to the report of the Yerevan Foundation, the Yerevan Foundation spent 3 728 138 133 AMD last year on its declared purposes. However, the report doesn’t mention properly what programs have been carried out and how much money has been allocated for each program. Only a general description of the programs is given – urban development, greening, construction, carrying out sports and cultural programs etc. The foundation has received money, 2 473 757 365 drams, from the budget of the city of Yerevan – the purpose is vaguely mentioned in the report as “for events.” Besides, the European Union has given 30 995 489 drams to the foundation to carry out the CIUDAD Gospel program. However, the most interesting part of the section called “Financial Sources” is that last year the Yerevan Foundation received 1 billion 118 million 20 thousand 754 drams “from organizations and individuals for urban planning, supporting educational, cultural and other organizations and individuals.” The authors of the report didn’t mention how many such “organizations and individuals” there were and what they were called, how much money each of them had given and for what purpose. And generally, your political opponents have also criticized you much for inefficient management of the capital’s budget. Why have you “frittered away” the money of residents of Yerevan?
– The Yerevan Foundation makes reports on its activities in accordance with the requirements of the law. There has been no criticism of the foundation’s activities in the past 4 years. The foundation has become a subject of political exploitation today. It seems they have just found out where it is located. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues use their skills in black PR that they have demonstrated for many years, and I am under the impression that all that is a struggle of aspersions. However, I am convinced that all that will have no influence on the choice of the resident of Yerevan.
– There have been many publications in the press about your declared and undeclared property. You haven’t responded to that in any way. Do the “facilities” included in the list of your undeclared property really belong to you. By the way, the property you have declared is quite impressive as it is. How have you managed to collect all that, particularly given the fact that you haven’t been engaged in business; you were the head of the Avan administrative district, a deputy mayor, and the mayor?
– Exploitation of this issue is one of those aspersions. I have declared my property as the head of the Avan neighborhood since 2005. My father, the late Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, would also declare his property. It has never become the focus of the public’s attention in the past, a subject of discussion or exploitation. I think exploitation of this issue is unacceptable, particularly given the fact that the list of my property hasn’t changed dramatically during my tenures as the mayor of Yerevan or a deputy mayor. People who are too much concerned about such issues should ensure that other candidates are also honest while submitting their declarations, because there sometimes is a big difference between the property mentioned in the declaration and the real wealth.
– Why the campaign has focused on your personality, not on the party? Do you think that the current negative image of the RPA would have impeded you?
– The RPA is one of those unique forces that states who will be the mayor of Yerevan, if it achieves success. Many of our political rivals haven’t clearly answered this question in public. Yes, my friends say that my personal rating is higher in some ways than that of the party’s. However, I am a member of the RPA, the manager of the party’s Yerevan office, and I am obliged to contribute to the increase in party’s rating by my activities. Every party has its campaign strategy. If the Yerevan city council election campaign is based on my personality, it doesn’t mean that the party is doing badly. It just means that we are open and honest. Let us not forget that I will participate in the election with a large team, a list for the city council; they always accompany me during the campaign meetings. It’s an honor for me to lead that team.
– By the way, during the whole campaign, your teammates stressed in the praises of you that you were the son of the late Andranik Margaryan and you yourself had five children. One was under the impression that you had no other qualities for reassuming the office of mayor.
– Perhaps praises are unavoidable during election campaigns; I must confess that I myself always avoid praising. It is kind of not my style. I am proud that I am Andranik Margaryan’s son, a representative of the Margaryan family, and I have five successors of that family. I am sure that when you are asking this question even you know that it is not my only quality. Admittedly, I am responsible for maintaining fond memories of my father and for the future of my children. In the Margaryan family, I, as any young man, am a bridge between my family’s ancestors and descendants.
– What will Taron Margaryan do on May 6?
– On May 6, as on all the other days, I will look residents of Yerevan, my people, citizens who have voted for me and those who haven’t voted for me in the eye. I will continue to work for the sake of better Yerevan. Hundreds of thousands of people have pinned hopes on us, and we will not disappoint them.
Interviewed NELLY GRIGORYAN
P.S. The interview was already over when the opposition Armenian National Congress made a report to Aghvan Vardanyan, the Attorney General of Armenia, demanding to open a criminal case and find out whether the property of Taron Margaryan, the incumbent mayor of Yerevan and a candidate for mayor, was legal and hold him responsible. By the way, heeding to Taron Margaryan’s repeated pleas, Aravot asked him questions in writing.
Aravot Daily
