Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International Anticorruption Center took part in a debate, organized by Media Center, which was broadcast by “A1plus.” After four-day April war the need to make state governance system more effective and, as a first step, the need to fight against corruption was largely emphasized. Paying homage to public needs, the authorities stated on launching a new stage in fight against corruption. The participants in the debate answered how effective can fight against corruption announced by authorities be under the current political, socio-economic conditions.

According to Varuzhan Hoktanyan, in view of April war, hard economic conditions and serious threat to national security the public understood it and the ruling elite realized that it cannot pretend any more that it did not understand. However, effective war against corruption first of all implies political will. If there is no political will even the mechanism of illicit enrichment may be used for political persecution. If there is serious fight it must be accompanied by introduction of illicit enrichment institute and change of the top to bottom functions and actions of law enforcement system and the existence of more serious anticorruption institutional system. If there are no economic, judicial, local government system reforms as a whole, only 2015-18 anticorruption strategy will not be enough for effective anticorruption fight.

Before the four-day war Varuzhan Hoktanyan mentioned in his public speeches that if it continues we might lose statehood. However, he does not see the awakening he would like to see by the ruling elite. Only attempts are made to make incumbent oligarchic system more effective, whereas the system should be changed. The Electoral Code, which should be amended as well, proves of it. The authorities may achieve desirable result in elections. They simply want to reduce the expenses regarding respective vote buying and administrative resource. The authorities might manipulate certain part of the population by making statements.

Other participants in the debate on “Fight against Corruption: Reality or Imitation?” organized by Media Center at “A1plus” pavilion were Anahit Bakhshyan, Member of “Heritage” Party, Member of “Barev Yerevan” Faction of Yerevan Council, Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Association of Lawyers, Coordinator of Anticorruption Coalition Secretary of Armenian Civil Society Organizations and Economist Hayk Gevorgyan.

See the press release by Media Center.