ArmInfo. The decentralization of power will be one of the priorities in the activities of the Armenian government over the next five years. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said this on February 12 from the rostrum of the parliament.
According to him, decentralization is necessary both de jure and de facto. The current government inherited a super-centralized power, which did not allow showing initiative on the part of local authorities. "The process of transition from supercentralization of power to its decentralization has begun, and side effects may appear on this path, but, nevertheless, this process is necessary," Nikol Pashinyan stressed. He also pointed out the need for local authorities to abandon existing stereotypes, which will enable the automatic resolution of many problems. As an example, he cited the irrigation water system, in which the heads of water user companies are appointed not by the citizens of the communities themselves, but by high-ranking officials. In the future, control over the system will be entrusted to local authorities, which will be responsible for the situation in the field.
He also urged to abandon unnecessary and optional regulations. The Prime Minister noted the need for a strict separation of the state from business. "Problems arise when the prime minister, the minister or the mayor have their own business, acting as competitors for other subjects. Why do we have a low salary for senior government officials? Yes, because almost all of them had their own business," Nikol Pashinyan said.