An Armenian tycoon has insisted that he will continue to engage in political activities despite an appeal by popular acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for the separation of business and politics ahead of next month’s snap parliamentary elections.
Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman who leads the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the second largest group in the outgoing parliament, referred to United States President Donald Trump as an example of how big business can be in politics.
“If as a journalist you understand something in politics, then you should know that a country like the United States today is led by the country’s largest business owner – Trump,” Tsarukian said, talking to a group of journalists on Tuesday.
“And today under the Trump administration America has the lowest unemployment rate,” he added.
Armenia’s Constitution bans businessmen from seeking and becoming lawmakers and occupying government posts. Despite this prohibition, however, quite a few large businessmen had been present in both the legislative and executive branches of power using some legal loopholes, thus promoting their commercial interests and eventually contributing to government corruption.
After becoming prime minister in May Pashinian declared a fight against government corruption and as one of his cabinet’s priorities set the goal of separating business from politics.
Speaking in parliament on October 24, the acting prime minister said: “Why would a businessman need to become a lawmaker? We guarantee that all businesspeople will have equal opportunities and the status of a lawmaker will give no additional privileges to them.”
Pashinian and his team believe that the absence of businesspeople in the party lists of candidates in the December 9 elections will essentially reduce the practice of vote buying and will thus contribute to the competition of political platforms and ideas.
A number of leading businesspeople have already stated that they no longer have the intention to run for parliament.
Tsarukian, who has always insisted that he has no personal interest in engaging in politics, but is doing so “for the people’s benefit”, said, however, that he will himself top the list of candidates of his party and that other ‘business owners’ will also be present among the BHK candidates.
“I will present my program to the people and will say what I can do together with my team. I will be able to do as much as people trust me to do,” he said.
Tsarukian said he was not keen on forming an alliance ahead of the December 9 elections. “We still need to see what an alliance could give us. Today all political parties have high ambitions and speak about 15-20 percent… Why would they need to be with us then? Let them participate alone and get their votes,” he said.
Tsarukian said that the BHK is ready to become parliamentary opposition or part of the next government. “Everything depends on the election outcome. But I support the [revolutionary] movement, I support Pashinian and will be next to him… that’s for sure,” he concluded.
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