Twenty years needed to separate Armenian businesses from power: expert

YEREVAN, May 23. /ARKA/. It will take at least 20 years for Armenian authorities to get separated from large businesses, according to Alexander Iskandarian, head of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan.

Speaking at a news conference he argued that this process started and that the role of local oligarchs in political and personnel-decision making is reducing.

“The dominating trend in today’s political process is trying, as much as possible, to separate the businesses from politics," he said.

According to Iskandarian, the new Armenian parliament has more party representatives than the outgoing one. IskandarIan further argued that the oligarchs elected in single-mandate constituencies will be lobbying for the interests of their Republican party rather than for their businesses, and the party in turn will protect their businesses, but in an indirect manner.

"Distancing the economic elite from political decision-making is a process that takes place within the ruling elite, in which the political system does not fight with someone outside, it is fighting within itself, so the process is quite complicated. I think it will take twenty years," he said.

At the same time IskandarIan admitted that regardless of how the process will be proceeding removing big businesses from economic decision-making process is impossible.

The new Armenian parliament will most likely convene for the maiden session on May 31. On the same day, President Serzh Sargsyan will dismiss the government and appoint a prime minister, who will be given 20 days to form a new Cabinet. The Republican Party won a landslide victory in the election with 44.02% of the vote. In the new parliament it will control 69 seats out of 131. The Prosperous Armenia of businessman Gagik Tsarukian won 30.12% and will control 37 seats, the opposition Armenian National Congress won 7.08% and will have 7 seats.

Zharangutyun (Heritage), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) won over 5% just enough to overcome the threshold. They will control from 5 to 6 seats each. -0-