Armenia’s richest man – Gagik Tsarukyan bets $1 milion, saying sociologist Aharon Adibekyan won’t be able to prove claims, that Tsarukyan’s “Prosperous Armenia” party has a very low rating.
It all started on the air of Shant TV’s “Herankar” talk-show program. The guest in studio, sociologist Aharon Adibekyan, who has many times been accused by various opposition forces and even coalition parties, for manipulating sociological surveys, in response to program host Nver Mnatsakanian’s question made a statement, that the political rating of “Prosperous Armenia” («Բարգավաճ Հայաստան») party is very low.
Next day on the air of the same program Gagik Tsarukyan, the founder and leader of “Prosperous Armenia”, discounted Adibekian’s claims, saying he’ll bet $1 million (later corrected to 1 million Armenian drams), that Adibekian won’t be able to back his claims with data.
E-channel quotes Adibekian saying he’s sorry that “a political figure of that calibre acts on restaurant mentality.”
“Prosperous Armenia” party has in its turn issued a statement, saying “Sociology is generally a serious science, if serious people practice it.” The party revels, that Aharon Adibekyan has been expecting a “tailored” offer from Gagik Tsarukyan, with data manipulated to the tastes of the “Prosperos Armenia” party. The party statement implies, that seeing he is not getting an offer, Adibekian has come out with statements about the low rating of the party.
“Adibekian has now received an offer [Tsarukian’s bet], so instead of pointless talk he ought to either accept it, or apologise in a due manner for dishonoring a serious science like sociology”, the party’s statement concludes.
PS: In a possibly related development Nver Mnatsakanyan, Shant TV’s leading anchor and political journalist, who initiatited the discussion above, was beaten in Yerevan last night.
Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant
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If any authorities in Armenia ever want to show that they’re opening a new era in our politics, BHK should be marginalised and Dodi Gago sent to compulsory pension in his mansion. The guy is a joke, cancer to the society.
A sad simple people. If the diaspora could only understand that the turks killed only 1 million, but the russians turned 4 generations into the living dead…
A living dead, that ironically does just the same as the turks to its leaders and intellectuals. just slowly and (worse) ignorant of the effects of their deeds. At least the ottomans had a thought-out plan, a vision.
The only thing these soviet muzhiks have is simple monkey greed.
If the lousy loutish ludicrousity Dodi Gago actually wanted to increase his party’s popularity, he’d take that million (dollars, not drams) and use it to pay a tiny down payment on the taxes he owes to the people of Armenia. Saddest thing is that this thug has any supporters at all.
Just to remind:
http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2260&CID=2296&IID=&lng=eng
[…]
For instance, Gagik Tsarukyan, the wealthy head of the Prosperous Armenia party, who is rated Armenia’s wealthiest person according to a local business magazine placed only 84th in the taxpayers’ list.
Two operating cement plants– Araratcement, belonging to Tsarukyan and MikaCement belonging to Mikhail Baghdasarov – paid 517 million drams (about $1.5 million) in taxes for the first half of last year, of which 320 million drams (about $927,500) was value added tax (VAT).
But official statistics say that VAT on cement produced and consumed in Armenia should have been 1.2-1.3 billion drams, which means that almost four times less tax was paid.
[…]
On a related note, I’ve posted something here about Nver Mnatsakanian’s beating: http://www.azatutyun.am/content/blog/1623618.html
I am writing this as a deeply disappointed former friend and investor in Armenia. I once fell in love with the Armenian people and this promising country, bordering the beautiful Georgia.
5 years ago I started to invest quite some money into your country. More than a hundred of foreign investors I brought into Armenia in the last years. More than a dozen of times I spoke on international conferences about the great economic potential of this “forgotten” country, and about its charming beauty. I once even had a small Armenian flag on the back of my car……
What a terrible disappointment!
Armenians allow and elect (!!) people like Gagik Tsarukyan stealing our(!!) property and money, Armenians allow him to threaten and smash our employees and partners.
As long as you give your votes to people like your current government that fully supports Gagik´s moves and prevents us from taking legal steps against Armenian injustice – as long as Armenians only claim about the past and frighten off friends they have in the present – you can not expect the international community will fall in love with Armenia in the future.
Stand up for justice, please! There is such a lot of injustice happening to foreigners within Armenia, that there is plenty to stand up for.
Stefan Laxhuber, once a real friend and supporter of Armenia
Well, this is Armenia!
What exactly was your experience in Armenia? I found some infos about you on this website http://www.ostinvestor-zertifikat.de/ but I do not speak sufficent german, sorry.
Did you know that EMA has just been declaring Gagik Tsarukyan to be Armenia´s Best European ?
Oh my goodness – this country has so much more and better businessmen that are really Europeans!
His way of thinking and treating Europe is anything than “European” and by far not the way, Armenia should be presented towards Europe.
EMA is blaming all honest Armenians in Europe by giving such an “honor” to such a criminal.
Armenians should listen to Mr. Laxhuber’s words very attentively. He is very right, and as long as Armenia does not act and condones people like Tsarukyan, it will deprive its people of real prosperity and will allow people like Tsarukyan feed people with “bullcrap prosperity”
Here are some interesting Stats:
– Leading fund managers targeting CIS have in excess of $40 billion invested in former Soviet states;
– The same funds have over $1.2 billion invested in Georgia and have an “open book” on this country, i.e. ready to invest more;
– The same funds (including Ostinvestor) have invested only just over $8 million in Armenia, with the last one being in 2008. All of them have “closed book”, i.e. no interest in investing in Armenia;
– Ostinvestor was the 1st and most progressive, entering Armenia (thats why he got in bed with questionables), investing in 3-4 companies, including Brandy Company, and buying controlling interest in Armenbrok, a leading stock brokerage in Armenia.
Nice PR for Armenia Mr. Gago.
The question is: where are the prime minister and minister of economy looking? This is their direct duty and responsibility. They are responsible why Georgia has $1.2 billion of capital invested by this leading funds while Armenia suffocates and has to rely on dirty money of Luzhkovs and alikes.
Stefan Laxhaber is not the victim of Tsarukyan and the alikes. The people of Armenia and the people in this video in this video are the victims.
http://www.ressler.at/socialism_failed/