Instead of reducing bureaucracy, they have decided to multiply it
End of last week, the National Assembly decided to separate the Ministry of Territorial Administration and the Ministry of Emergency Situations to “open a room” for the Dashnaktsutyun party. It is vivid example when the they come into conflict with political expediency and the state necessity enter into conflict with each other. The latter assumes calculating the state’s bureaucracy keeping chances as well as the functions of given body but firstly to grant position to this or that person or a party. Armenia indeed needs a structure dealing with emergency situations, it is not necessarily to be in the status of a ministry, and it must be said that in recent years, this structure was not displaying itself bad. But is it necessary for our country to have a Ministry of Territorial Administration?
To be honest, I was expecting that the authors of the new Constitution would be radical and consistent and would generally eliminate the institution of “territorial administration.” It is clear that in Russia, the US or China where the territories are huge, having such an administration is a must. Armenia is significantly smaller of such countries’ provinces or marzes. Now, there was an opportunity to give up, in my opinion, the wrong idea of regional division of the 1995 and switch to a much simpler model. There is a government in Yerevan with its ministries and local communities with elected leaders. The communities, anyway, should be consolidated and become the size of the Soviet districts. Then, why is it necessary to have additional circles in the form of marzpetarans (governor’s office) and territorial administration ministry.
Apparently, from the outset, these circles were “born” as local self-government oppressing institutions because the village-mayor or the city mayor elected (at least, elected in theory) in this government model “cringes” before the elected marzpet (governor). Marzpetarans are also key centers for rigging elections, and during the election, the marzpetarans become, essentially, the non-official “HQs” of the ruling party. That is why it is necessary to keep dozens of bureaucrats with high potential for “corruption risks”.
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Again, separating this ministry and handing the “TA business” to ARF (in the face of Dashnak oligarch David Lokyan) certainly means giving a great favor to this party, and next time, when withdrawing from the coalition (if it happens), Mr. Lokyan and his Dashnak bureaucracy will also come out of this “experiment” financially “stronger”.
But the question here ultimately is not the person or the party, it does not matter who will be “reinforced”: RPA or ARF bureaucrat. The question is the number of ministries, which impermissibly are many. So many ministers, deputy ministers, departments, divisions, vehicles, offices, secretaries, business trips for our small country is a heavy burden. It seems to me that it is quite possible to merge the ministry of economy and finances (taking out tax and customs as services), as well as ministries of culture, sports, science, education and nature protection. So far, instead of reducing they are multiplying the ministries.
Dear RoL and PAP party members, please, do not enter into a coalition. Otherwise, they will have to open up 5-6 more ministries for you.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
