Statistics of Political Party Finances
If there is something to boast with its abundance in Armenia, it’s the number of registered political parties. Today de jure more than dozens of political parties have been registered in the Republic of Armenia. There are such among them, names of which are unknown to the majority of the population (e.g., “Haykandukht” Traditional Democratic Party, “Women of Armenia” or “Bagrevand”).
Very often clear idea of real possibilities and resources of the political parties may be made not based on their statements, but on actual move of finances.
Pursuant the law, political parties are obliged to publish annual reports on cash receipts and expenditures, as well as on movable and immovable property.
We decided to cast a glance on annual reports of political parties for 2015, published on azdarar.am website. Naturally, we couldn’t analyze them all, that’s why we have selected main political parties represented in the Parliament.
Judging from the reports, the wealthiest party is, as it could have been anticipated, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). At the beginning of 2015 balance of the party comprised AMD 32.2 million. During the year RPA had receipts comprising AMD 362.5 million, greater part of which—AMD 327.2 are membership fees. As for financial assistance enshrined by law, it comprised AMD 33.9 million.
RPA didn’t fully waste those means (salaries, communal payments, business trips and etc.) and terminated the year with the balance comprising AMD 9.9 million. RPA is also the wealthiest by the property belonging to it. It has 40 units of real estate—lands, buildings, facilities.
And finally, RPA is the only political party, report of which is attached with audit conclusion, which was implemented by Asatryans Audit Company. It’s not strange, that audit is an expensive delight and not everyone can afford it.
Even the third political party by representation in the Parliament—Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), didn’t waste money on audit.
At the beginning of the year balance of PAP comprises AMD 5 million 890.4 thousand. They recorded receipts of AMD 25.2 million. Greater part comprises financing by law—AMD 23.2 million. The amount from membership fees comprised a bit more than AMD 1.5 million. And this is rather strange. In different periods the party stated that it has a few hundred thousand members, however, according to the report, those paying for membership fees are just 1522 persons.
In this sense PAP concedes the Armenian National Congress (ANC) with less MPs. Based on the report ANC succeeded to record membership fee comprising more than AMD 2 billion from 3000 party members.
Throughout the year pursuant the law ANC received financing of AMD 682 thousand. AMD 1 million 60 thousand was received from donations of physical persons, moreover, the largest donor (AMD 390 thousand) was Levon Zurabyan.
Civil Contract belonging to ANC MP Nikol Pashinyan didn’t have financial means in early 2015. During the year it had membership fee comprising AMD 171 thousand and donation comprising AMD 40 thousand.
People’s Party of Armenia (PPA) belonging to Stepan Demirchyan had a balance of AMD 26.6 thousand at the beginning of the year. During the year it recorded donation comprising AMD 608 thousand from physical persons, and financing pursuant the law—AMD 682 thousand.
Rule of Law belonging to Artur Baghdasaryan had a balance of AMD 407.6 thousand. During the year donations to the party comprised AMD 6.5 million and AMD 4.2 million received pursuant the law.
The money was totally wasted and the party closed the year with a balance of AMD 233.6 thousand. The most noteworthy is that the amount was consumed on communal payments, the party paid more than AMD 4.8 million for electricity.
“Heritage” party started the year with the balance comprising AMD 921 thousand. During the year it had neither receipts nor expenditures, nor donations. The only source was financing of AMD 4.4 million, received in accordance with the law.
Report by Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) wasn’t found on azdarar.am.
