Tweet
ARMENIA'S POLITICAL PARTIES NEED BETTER GOVERNMENT FINANCING - ARMEN MARTIROSYAN
19:21 07.08.13
The government must allocate an equivalent of ~@60,000-70,000 to the
political parties that received 3% of votes in the parliamentary
elections, and the total amount is expected to reach ~@2m in case
desired changes take place, Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party Armen
Martirosyan told Tert.am as he commented on the bill envisaging
increased government financing of political parties, approved by
Georgia's Parliament in its first reading.
"Government financing of political parties is generally practiced,
especially in European countries. This solves a major institutional
problem. If the government finances a political party, it becomes
independent of any other sources of financing. In Armenia's case they
are oligarchic structures. When the government finances political
parties to citizens' benefit, they serve the state interests rather
than oligarchic interests," Martirosyan said.
At present, the Heritage party receives $10,000 a year from Armenia's
government, which is not even sufficient for renting an office
in Yerevan.
"Opposition parties cannot carry out large-scale activities in
Armenia's regions on the funds they receive from the government. So
government financing is most important - of course, not for all the
officially registered parties," Martirosyan said.
According to him, proper government financing of political parties
results has economic benefits.
"If political parties - especially opposition ones - were financed in
Armenia, they would be able to expand their activities and supervise
the shadow economy, which would ensure better supervision over
budgetary funds and bring benefit to citizens," Martirosyan said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/07/armen-martirosyan/
19:21 07.08.13
The government must allocate an equivalent of ~@60,000-70,000 to the
political parties that received 3% of votes in the parliamentary
elections, and the total amount is expected to reach ~@2m in case
desired changes take place, Vice-Chairman of the Heritage party Armen
Martirosyan told Tert.am as he commented on the bill envisaging
increased government financing of political parties, approved by
Georgia's Parliament in its first reading.
"Government financing of political parties is generally practiced,
especially in European countries. This solves a major institutional
problem. If the government finances a political party, it becomes
independent of any other sources of financing. In Armenia's case they
are oligarchic structures. When the government finances political
parties to citizens' benefit, they serve the state interests rather
than oligarchic interests," Martirosyan said.
At present, the Heritage party receives $10,000 a year from Armenia's
government, which is not even sufficient for renting an office
in Yerevan.
"Opposition parties cannot carry out large-scale activities in
Armenia's regions on the funds they receive from the government. So
government financing is most important - of course, not for all the
officially registered parties," Martirosyan said.
According to him, proper government financing of political parties
results has economic benefits.
"If political parties - especially opposition ones - were financed in
Armenia, they would be able to expand their activities and supervise
the shadow economy, which would ensure better supervision over
budgetary funds and bring benefit to citizens," Martirosyan said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/07/armen-martirosyan/