While Armenia is being shaken by arrests and various kinds of corruption exposures, experts are dubious about what is happening, considering the policy of the new prime minister Nikol Pashinyan unconstructive and chaotic.
In particular, Sputnik Armenia cites the words of Marat Atovmyan, an expert on the fight against corruption, who is sure that such a “struggle” can only intimidate only the officials of the “low level”. At the same time, “elite corruption” will continue to flourish.
As an example, Atovmyan cites the ex-president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili, who, according to the expert, “did not follow the path of institutional changes”.
“He hasn’t formed a stable economic model. He, simply using punitive measures, was able to eradicate domestic corruption in a short time,” Marat Avtomyan said, noting that Saakashvili created the illusion of fear, the inevitability of punishment, which was effective at the domestic level. However, elite corruption remained, and the economic model of the state, which would have ensured economic growth, would have positively influenced the standard of living of citizens.
According to the expert, there are two models of fighting corruption: when this is an end in itself for the state and all forces are concentrated in this direction and when the fight against corruption is one of the priorities for the state, along with the economy and other areas.
“The second model is more productive and has been used in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of European countries,” Atovmyan stressed, adding that Armenia is following the first model.
Recall that on the eve, a deputy from the former ruling Republican Party, Lieutenant-General Manvel Grigoryan was arrested in Armenia. A wave of arrests and searches raced through the homes of more than 30 criminal authorities, whose crimes were known to everyone. At the same time, it’s not about anti-corruption policy or, at least, the transition to a higher level.