My point is that as the war was ending in Karabakh, our country was busy creating monopolies for Armentel (nice cash-out for the thieves who engineered that deal) with the Minister of Con (I mean Comm) Poghpatyan. This catastrophe was the single biggest IT-related disaster in modern Armenian history, and one which continues to plague the development of our schools, economy, and society.

What is your infatuation with the KGB? And why do you demand these accusations merely because I recognize that Levon’s putsch would send this place back at least a decade?

ai IT specialist jan. 15 years ago there was not IT at all, in no country you could find Synopsys or virage logic. They are very new companies.

Besides that read the news how Synopsis is very “PLEASED” with customs practices in Armenia.

Ara du iskakanic kam KGB-ic es, kam el besamt erazkoti mekn es.

My own conclusions from your stories:
1) Do not bribe. Once you bribe then they can always hold it against you, and I am not surprised your friend fell down a slippery slope.

2) Don’t take my word for it, or don’t extrapolate from your one experience. Just look at the dozens of companies who have located to Armenia (including some publicly traded and/or big entities like National Instruments, Synopsys, Virage Logic, Lycos-Europe etc. None of these companies was in Armenia 15 years ago, and no amount of hysteria/Armenia-bashing can change the fact that according to the IT world, Armenia is a much better place to do business now than it was then.

Having said all that, we have a long way to go to be globally competitive, but I was simply making a relative argument.

So, you are in IT Business ha?

My friend opened small IT company last year (7-8 employees), does not have product yet, it is in developing process. But he has managed to lose already 10-15 thousand US dollars on government bureaucrats by bribing them. He is half french half Armenian, and was oposed to bribes, but eventually realized that without bribes he cannot continue anymore. So he decided to bribe, Tax admin, customs, Sanipetkayan, Fire stations, the Yerevan municipality, the Arabkir taxapetaran end etc. This is your and my country.

About doing business 15 years ago.

15 years ago being a student, freshmen, i started my business in Armenia in 1992. By 1994 my business grew enough to have even couple of transactions with Lfik Samo in big quantities. I was ordinary student, my father was ordinary mechanic.

Then in 1997-98, I lost my business just because of competition, nothing else.

So do not exaggerate, it was very possible (even easier) to do business 15 years ago. It is possible now too, but you have to be ready to bribe everybody and evry institution. This is the reality, and do not try to escape from that.

Not a great way to generate converts to the cult.

Re to your point: “If you are a blogger just delete their comments” – I denounce that type of attitude completely. My only policy is to delete comments, if they contain direct offenses, name calling and unjustified, false accusations. Moreover, following that logic I should have deleted your comment, but I’ll leave it here to make a point/example of how people are not expected to comment on this blog.

Uzogh or chuzogh aka Ruben Muradyan aka Pascal Rubo
Pigh aka Tigran Kocharyan
Ahousekeeper aka Karen possibly Vrtanesyan or AH

All of them are ultra nationalists. ahouskeeper is even a member or Armenian aryan order. They are not much different from each other but ahousekeeper is a little bit smarter than the other two.

Uzogh works in Public TV and used to be a programmer most likely Pascal programmer hence the name.

Pigh works in a USAID project most likely in health services most likely doing IT work.
Ahousekeeper seems to be also an IT person.

It is very likely that they are KGB recruits and work in the blogging surveillance and propaganda department. Otherwise i cant understand their massive efforts in trying to act so illogical . IT and programming requires some logic.

So my advise is don’t argue with them and completely ignore them as there is no point. It will be waste of time and stress on your nerves. If you are a blogger just delete their comments.

I haven’t felt so proud to be an Armenian ever since 1988 and the victory in Gharabagh. I am proud and free now because of March 1, 2008 and the days that led to the stand-off. The names of those demonstrators, who gave their lives yesterday defending our freedoms and right to have a better Armenia, will remain in the history of our nation and our memory along with the names of our heroes. I bow my head before them and their memory, and promise to continue the job they started fighting for Armenia without cronyism, corruption, and tyranny, one with a better future, stronger foundations, and a more humane face. I now have ultimate faith in the collective wisdom of our people, something I thought I lost since 1995. The events of the past week came to remind me that not only the collective consciousness of our people is alive and well, but that it is also very progressive, against all the odds it endured in the past decade or so. I have little doubt that this page of our history will soon be over and that people’s victory is unavoidable. More…
… Those who ordered armed Armenian soldiers against their fellow unarmed Armenian citizens in their sleep are doomed to be condemned by their people and history. I just hope that those who take on the responsibility of governing this nation after these events keep the nation’s best interest in their minds and remember that our people will rise again, if necessary, to keep the course on a truly stronger, prosperous, and fairer Armenia.

God bless the souls of those who left us yesterday.
God bless those who will keep up the fight. ”

http://www.pf-armenia.org/blogs/human-rights-society-and-religion/

And I clearly recall it being worse (ever try to start a business 15 years ago??) Unless you were connected to Telman or Vano it was impossible. While now having government connections helps (and I agree that in an ideal world it shouldn’t), there are plenty of businessmen starting companies now who are not in any way connected to the authorities.

It is for this gradual yet positive change that I am optimistic. I also do not think that Armenians are just doomed to be in a bad environment etc etc. I think that with some modest efforts and determination, it is possible to create value in Armenia.

How about you? What is your doom and gloom predicated upon?

Where do you work? and who are your colleagues?

If you give me honest answer, it will be clear what drives you to defend this regime.

corruption cut off? IN tax and customs? Just wait. This kind of shows are for you. Enjoy it.

Just one number I will tell you as an economist. The imports of Armenia from January to June of 2008, rose by 400 million dollars compared to the same period of the 2007. At the same time tax revenues from Customs grew by 12 Billion AMD (40 Million dollars). This is absurd. It means the tax rate is 10% for that 400 million increase.

The actual tax rate is 32% on most of imports (20% VAT, and 10% customs duties).

See, be aware, be informed, be educated and then speak about corruption in customs and tax administration.

It is just a TALE, for people like you, who are someway or another are either connected to regime or hate LTP so blindly that they can justify SS and RK, and the legal processes and institutions (as you named) in Armenia.

LTP and crowd was a good example of the “medicine” being worse than the disease. I disagree that the court rulings are irrelevant. This must be the direction forward…after all what are the options? A revolution with disregard for all legal institutions? A council of elders to decide everything??

http://hnazarian.blogspot.com/2008/06/armenia-embarrasses-itself-with-idiotic.html
Comment @ June 26, 2008 4:50 PM

http://hnazarian.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-rk.html
Comment @ July 09, 2008 11:57 PM

And you’ve just pointed out the similarities here between Reflective (rather, Reflexive) and AH (all are one and one are all). My theory is that AH/Reflective/Anonymous is a Haylur person tasked with writing in the blogs, using an increasingly moldy and dusty script of points put together in February and March, and posting under different names to try to make it seem as if these opinions are widespread. At least one thing he/she says is true: “On the ground”, where he works, everyone certainly is hoping that the opposition fades, because if not they’re all going to be out of a job soon.

I can assure you I lose no sleep over Jhangiryan or Lady Hakop being in jail. It isn’t about their civil rights, it is about everyone else’s. I say Jhangirich is a classic case of reaping what you sow; I bring their cases up to show you that nothing has really changed in the law enforcement, and things are just as arbitrary as before. Sure I welcome these attempts to pretend that something is being done in taxes, customs or traffic violations. My problem is that today the president has ordered to follow the law, tomorrow he can just as easily to order them to go back to breaking it. Ask any gaishnik why he’s towing some official’s car and he’ll tell you it’s b/c he was ordered to do so, not because say, it’s illegal for the official to park in that spot. We need a system where law is above everything else, not the President’s word. And I’m sure that these new found respect for customs law doesn’t extend to Dodi Gago or Toxmaxi Mher and is only used to squeezed the middle class even worse than before.

I personally can’t think of any other “mature democracies” where people are arrested because of their political views. And can you think of any other civil country on earth where “իշխանությունը բռնազավթելու կոչեր անելը” is in the criminal code and is used to try oppositionists who call for a change in a ruling party or force? Please, let’s not start making out-of-context and meaningless comparisons.

The reason the prime minister cannot be nominated unless he takes a leave of his duties is because he can then use the administrative resources, his pull on the state apparatus and his access to the state budget to either promise or fulfill promises to voters, who would then be inclined to vote for him. In fact, a committee within the government was set up by Serzhik’s order to do exactly that. Budget money was also used to transport Serzhik and his posse from rally to rally, for example, as well as for other expenses that would otherwise have to come out of his pocket. Can you see a potential for a problem there? Being upheld in court means nothing; the legality of keeping a1+ off air was upheld 12 times, before the European Court of Human Rights found it to be a gross violation of freedom of speech.

I won’t even go to 1996, the nadir of Armenian political life, from which there has been a gradual growth upward.

me -
Regarding the legality of Sargsyan’s candidacy, these were arguments bordering on the absurd. That it even went to the courts (which obviously upheld the legality of the PM being eligible to run for president – can you think of a country on earth where s/he couldn’t?) is over the top. Feel free to question the legality or legitimacy of anyone, I just think it is a waste of time. More productive is supporting reforms that seem to be going forward (though not in the realm that you seem to find very important) like taxes, customs, and combating traffic lawlessness, for example. And of course these arrests have political overtones – no one is that naive. And that happens in the most mature of democracies. Regardless, I agree that if you, for example, wish to fight to defend Jhangiryan’s civil rights to the fastest possible trial, go ahead. Not something high on my personal priority list.

Why is my astonishment funny? One doesn’t affect the other. When an MP is stripped of immunity, there has to be damning evidence that he committed a crime. And in fact, Aghvan the Clown said during the immunity hearing that they had damning evidence that all four committed crimes. Incidentally, MPs cannot be arrested unless they are arrested while committing a crime. Why then did the investigators request another 2 months (until September, full 6 months after their arrest) to prove their guilt? Why does it take 4.5 months to get enough proof of Ayvazyan punching a cop? Why does it take 4 months to decide that Jhangiryan’s weapons were legal, when it took 4 minutes to decide the same thing for Vahram Sayakyan? Why hasn’t a single demonstrator been found who used/had weapons or grenades, which is the only thing that would make it OK for the police/army to shoot? As I said, business as usual while the two Sargsyans put on a show regarding corruption and the law.

Your astonishment that people are arrested and awaiting trial is funny, considering you question the legality of Serj Sargsyan’s presidency. (Who are you or who am I to deem something legal or illegal? there are institutions and processes to decide these questions.)

Sargsyan was elected in an imperfect election, one that was nevertheless deemed better than any in 17 years by international observers. It was furthermore confirmed through all legal mechanisms (election committee, const, court etc), so by these legal measures he is the legal president. No amount of neo-Bolshevistic ranting and raving by LTP and the radical opposition can change that. That you are unhappy with him as president, that is fine, in fact, it is good to have difference of opinion in these matters.

I don’t know what evidence the authorities have or do not have regarding the guilt/innocence of the accused. I also do not know what the average time for putting together a case (in the US, the time can be much longer). My guess is you do not know either, but when convenient, we find ourselves wearing judges robes, when convenient we chant democracy, when convenient we ignore democratic ideals, and attack policemen, ignore laws, and exhort troops to commit treason in serving against the state etc,

I have little faith in political forces who act out of whatever principle is convenient for power-usurping.

And we all agree that the country needs better laws, better elections, less corruption, etc.

When you state something, or write something you need to understand the subject first. If you do not understand the meaning of the subject or the word you are using, then not only your point is useless, but also you sound uneducated demagogue.

What is coup? From your posts I see that you do not know what is coup.

Deifinition of the coup is “illegal attempt of seizure of the LEGAL Authority”.

Now, What was illegal in opposition rallies. Just tell me what is illegal? It is illegal that the LTP could get the support of Lady Hakob or Manvel (I do not like these two also).

Second, was the SS’s and RK’s power legal? Are they legitimate?

I am sure that even if you do not like LTP, but if you try to be objective, you will find that there was not any coup.

Everybody forgets the source of this political crisis. It is violent and falsified elections, the violent march of the police in the morning of the March-1st.

After this any reasonable person on either side (serge or Levon), should not personalize this political crisis, and try to get rid of this illegal authorities.

Then we People collectively will decide our new president.

Some people say we need time, some say we need to have better education. Of course everything is right. But if you do not fight now, you will have better education system later, the corrupt system will last longer than expected.

So, today’s action defines tomorrow’s events. For me is important that one time the people of armenia will feel that they are not powerless, that they are not deprived and destined to slave mentality, and I really do not care who is the leader, even if one from mountain chobans.

I am sure, that most of those who oppose LTP, they would also oppose Raffi if he was the leader, just because they are all conformists and they do not realize the need for change by the people. By the way conformists in Armenia are majority, and many of them rise when there is only critical mood and need for them or in the environment they are in.

I am sure that many will think that I am naive believing that people will decide the future not the persons. On the other hand I do not believe any other conspiracy theories, like LTP and Serge staged this crisis together and etc. Moreover, it is important the people them self believe in it, even if they are really not part of the equation.

The first thing our country needs is not better education or less corruption. The firt thing we need that the people are not disappointed and despaired, so they do not leave the country. To achieve this firt thing we need is FAIR ELECTIONS.

Then we can create free press, independent justice system, better education, no corruption and etc.