Pashinyan: Mechanisms should be developed to create an atmosphere of  intolerance toward electoral bribery

ArmInfo.  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a meeting with representatives of the executive branch on Tuesday, June 9.  According to the government's press service, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the  officials present for ensuring the seamless operation of the  executive branch during his absence. Pashinyan also thanked the  various state and local government bodies involved in organizing the  recent parliamentary elections, commending their efforts in ensuring  a successful and well-organized electoral process.

Referring to cases of election falsification and the use of  fraudulent mechanisms, the head of state thanked law enforcement  agencies for combating vote-buying and illegal pressure on freedom of  expression. "This also testifies to the effectiveness of  institutional reforms in our country, as we have implemented a number  of legislative reforms that have yielded results," said Nikol  Pashinyan. At the same time, the Prime Minister expressed concern  about the development of a climate of tolerance for vote-buying He  emphasized that this practice must be radically changed, urging the  development of robust mechanisms to foster a culture of absolute  intolerance toward electoral bribery.  "This is a matter of national  security and the preservation of our democracy," the Prime Minister  noted.  "First and foremost, our focus must remain entirely on our  state, our people, their free will, and their unfettered ability to  express that will."

Nikol Pashinyan also touched upon upcoming government events and  emphasized the need for active work and planning for future events  before the formation of the new parliament. The Prime Minister  attached particular importance to ensuring the continuity of road  construction and the "300 Schools, 500 Kindergartens" program. In  this context, he pointed out the fulfillment of promises made to  children regarding schools, sports schools, art schools, and  playgrounds.

Highlighting upcoming state initiatives, the Prime Minister  emphasized the critical importance of the TRIPP (Trump Route for  International Peace and Prosperity) project, noting that the  ratification process for the framework agreement signed between  Armenia and the United States must be expedited as soon as possible.

The Prime Minister also detailed several high-priority infrastructure  developments, including the recently announced tender for the design  and reconstruction of the Akhurik–Gyumri railway section, state  reservoir initiatives, and the rehabilitation of the railway junction  in the Yeraskh section.  Furthermore, progress continues on the  construction of the North-South transport corridor and the strategic  Kajaran railway pipeline. The upcoming launch of the Kajaran tunnel  will be immediately followed by the construction of the Bargushat  tunnel, for which a bilateral agreement has already been finalized  with French partners.

"I have no concerns about our financial capabilities, because Armenia  will undoubtedly see significant investment activity in the near  future. The TRIP project is a multi-billion-dollar program that will  also bring in billions more. We need to be more confident in this.  Moreover, our experience from the previous period has shown that  money isn't important, but rather the content. When we know what  we're doing and why we're doing it—that is, when content is  needed—the issue of money is always resolved," the head of state  said.

The next priority, according to the Prime Minister, is deciding on  three priority issues in each community.  Nikol Pashinyan emphasized  the importance of local government heads discussing this issue with  residents.  To this end, the Prime Minister announced that he plans  to hold working discussions in all regions this summer with the  participation of government members, regional governors, and  community heads relevant to this issue. "Now, based on the results of  these consultations, we need to jointly identify three priority  issues for each locality that must be addressed in the near future,  including through the subsidy program mechanism," Pashinyan said,  adding with satisfaction that this year, almost all communities have  submitted the same number of subsidy programs as they implemented in  the previous eight years.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of requiring citizens to  present cash receipts for the implementation of all planned programs.  "We must pursue a specific policy in this regard, and our residents,  our citizens, must understand the essence of how the state operates.  That is, taxes are assessed, they go to the budget, and they are  returned from the budget, resulting in illuminated streets, new  schools, and kindergartens," the Prime Minister emphasized.

The head of state also touched on the issue of improving the business  environment and planned reforms in the microenterprise sector. He  stated, "We are creating a very large privileged field, but we must  also create mechanisms to ensure that this privilege is not abused.  Our experience shows that privileged fields are usually abused, and  we deviate from our goal in reality: we want to help and support  small businesses, but it turns out that they simply abuse this  privilege."

The Prime Minister named regulation of the water sector in the  republic as a priority for the next five years and, in this context,  emphasized the importance of working together with the Veolia Jur  company and identifying investment areas. Nikol Pashinyan also  addressed the implementation of a new solid waste management system,  energy transformation, including new forms of energy production and  use, state budget revenue collection, and more.

The head of state gave specific instructions on the sectoral issues  presented and emphasized the importance of developing an action plan  for all areas and setting clear deadlines.