The Thirteenth
So, the thirteenth PM of the Republic of Armenia has resigned.
Of course, reporters and experts will have enough time to provide detailed reflection to the results, success and achievements, shortcomings of the 2.5-year activity of Hovik Abrahamyan, draw parallel lines between indices recorded before and during his stay in the office.
To be frank, it should be stated that Hovik Abrahamyan’s period was a rather improper one. Firstly, at the moment he was appointed, he inherited numerous problems—great level of external debt, unstoppable decline of construction and etc. That period coincided with unfavorable external developments. Sharpening of Russia-West relations, mutual sanctions, drop in price for oil, and as a result, reduction of money transfers for Armenia, export reduction, slowdown of investments and etc.
However, the greatest issue that Hovik Abrahamyan has inherited was deficit of public trust towards the authorities. It should be noted, that in April 2014 country’s president set the most crucial issue before him—restoration of trust towards the Government.
Today Hovik Abrahamyan sincerely states that the issue wasn’t solved. He doesn’t speak of trust, however, he states on the society of being polarized. And they are interrelated: if there were trust, the society wouldn’t so polarize.
Could he restore that trust? No. As PM’s position plays an insignificant role regarding trust. Issues are deeper and systemic.
Despite all these Armenia’s 13th PM sincerely attempted to solve the issue by his own way— adopting skills of frank human socialization instead of academic activity. Due to his personal communicative capabilities, talent to convince, he brought into life some projects. Despite pessimistic anticipations of almost all international organizations he succeeded to close 2015 with 3% economic growth. For this year his Government provided growth more than anticipated.
Hovik Abrahamyan, naturally, would like to record double digit economic growth, investment growth, that people’s incomes increased, and everybody lived happy and content. Maybe he frankly believed that it’s possible to reach it through ongoing work without in-depth analysis of the issues. However, today he confesses that a new beginning is necessary.
To express more figuratively, Armenia’s PM’s office is like a person driving a ramshackle car. One drives well, the other—a bit bad. One is a literate driver, and the other—a skillful one. They pass 1-2 kilometers, stop, open the motor hood, add oil, fix the tube and continue the road…But the car remains the same. It doesn’t change. And despite who the driver will be, one day it’ll stop halfway. The strangest in all these is that all passengers in the car realize that it’s ramshackle, however, each of them pretends to drive it.
Meanwhile the car should be changed. Or at least it should undergo capital repair.
By Armine Vardanyan
