Saturday, 3 November 2012
Corruption Exposure Should Be Followed By Visible Sanctions
Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the Anticorruption Council met at the Office of Government.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Edward Sharmazanov, Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepyan, Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan, Justice Minister Hrair Tovmasyan, Head of President’s Control Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan, representatives from Heritage, Rule-of-Law, ARF parties, as well as non-governmental and international organizations.
To begin with, Assistant to President George Kutoyan outlined ways of enhancing effectiveness of the government’s anti-corruption policy, after which head of High-Ranking Officials’ Ethics Committee Emil Babayan talked about the problems faced throughout committee activities.
Views were exchanged and recommendations voiced on the ways of eliminating the existing shortfalls and problems. It was proposed to set up specialized working groups responsible for making in-depth researches into the causes of corruption in 3-4 priority areas, providing for greater transparency and involving civil society in these activities.
“It is up to us to reveal the incidences of corruption. Should the authorities lag behind in curbing corruption, well aware that corruption is a serious evil, the public may lose confidence in the activities of the government. This is why we have decided to take the lead in the fight against corruption resorting to strict sanctions so that society can clearly see their effectiveness,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
The head of government stressed that civil society will have to be involved in decision-making and supervising activities.
Summarizing the meeting, the Prime Minister thanked the representatives of NGOs and political parties for participation and expressed hope that they will submit proposals in writing for further discussion.
“We are open for discussion and will henceforth abide by this format. Obviously we are not satisfied with the situation in the fight against corruption. The President has issued clear-cut instructions calling for decisive actions. Neither the authorities nor the opposition or society can succeed without cooperative efforts. Therefore, we need to find the right formula. We must identify 3-4 priority areas, concentrating on the causes behind corruption,” the Premier stated.
According to Tigran Sargsyan, international donor organizations’ assistance will be instrumental in building reform capacity in the country.
