WHERE ARE FIRST FACES?
YEGHISHEH METSARENTS

Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country26882.html
Published: 14:24:53 - 18/07/2012

The People reported that the government has instructed the police
not to issue passports to prevent people from leaving Armenia and to
spend their holidays in Armenian resorts.

In Armenia, most resorts are run by high-ranking officials or the
oligarchs coalesced with them. Hence, the passport deficit is aimed
to ensure customers for resorts.

The newspaper notes that the Police has refuted this information.

However, the Police has not explained the cause of the lack of
passports, why new passports are not issued.

In any other state a similar situation lasting for several weeks would
escalate to a state scandal but none of the high-ranking officials
of Armenia cares, while the Armenian high-ranking officials do not
care that the citizens cannot get their passports in accordance with
the procedure defined by the state. Hence, the doubts about ensuring
customers for resorts seem quite credible despite official refutations.

At least, an official refutation cannot be considered sufficient unless
there are clear explanations, thorough clarifications, officials held
responsible for the lack of one of the state symbols, the passport.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan announced before the parliamentary
elections that they have set to improve public services. Is this the
improvement he promised? Is it proper service of the state to citizens
to tell to come later because there are no passports now? Is this the
new quality of police pledged by the Chief of Police Vova Gasparyan?

Is this Serzh Sargsyan's promise to focus on the police reforms on
a daily basis?