YEREVAN—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutiun (ARF-D) has refused to participate in an independent corruption control commission set up by the Armenian government, ARF-D member of parliament Artsvik Minasian told reporters on Wednesday.

 

“Regardless of the invitation for involvement in the group, we refrain from nominating our candidate for a number of reasons. The first reason is that we have for years had our own proposals for battling corruption, which have been ignored,” Minasian said.

The second reason, Minasian contented, is that the proposed system is inefficient because an “Armenian” model has been selected for the commission rather than one of three internationally approved models.

Minasian noted that a corruption control council was formed as early as 2004, under a presidential decree, and that Armenia’s government is now trying to employ an unclear model.

“The Armenian model has been approved, the one proposed by the premier. No common approach has been found for consensus to be reached over it,” Minasian said.

“One of the first elements is forming an environment. People must realize that involving in corrupt practices means much greater damage than acting according to the law.”

As to his opinion of the Armenian president’s calls for an effective struggle against corruption, Minasian said that the president’s words mean nothing if the system does not allow the process to begin.

Lernik Alexanian, a member of parliament from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), stressed that the government’s activities should not be restricted to the corruption control commission.

Pointing to proposed constitutional changes, he said, “The loopholes conducive to corruption must be stopped.”