Armenia's "genocide" games ended, problems in limelight

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Injustice, lawlessness and hopelessness have once again taken center stage in Armenia now that the fallacious "Armenian genocide" celebrations have ended, said a well-known political expert in Yerevan.

The days of challenges threatening Armenia' security and existence are back with a bang since the commemorative "genocide" events have ended, said Levon Zurabyan, legislator at the Armenian parliament.

Addressing the parliamentary meeting, Zurabyan claimed that the centennial "Armenian genocide" events haven't and could never change anything in the country. If anything it only led the nation to march on the same spot, giving a false sense of momentum.

"Monopoly and corruption continue to suffocate the people and emigration also is growing at a catastrophic pace. Socio-economic conditions in Armenia are still deteriorating. Poverty and unemployment are unstoppably rising and those political opponents who dare threaten the authorities are put in jail," he said.

Political persecution is seen even more in Armenia these days as a result of which the dissent has been neutralized recklessly. The two most active opposition camps - the Prosperous Armenia party and the Founding Parliament movement were consecutively oppressed in February and April by the authorities.

The current lawless and unjust situation in Armenia has turned into a "killer of hopes" as Zurabyan noted. The deprivation of basic economic needs have indeed lowered any prospects for progress. When it comes to economic growth, Armenia finds itself far below in all reports issued by international organizations - World Bank, Fitch and Moody's.

To put it simply, the "genocide" events have resembled an evanescent glimmer in Armenia's darkening skies - shimmered and gone with no tangible trace.

Referring to the citizens' living conditions, Zurabyan said it would be better if the country was a "cradle of freedom and democracy".

Poverty is among the top problematic issues in Armenia. And yet the government has been inactive in tackling this issue through a systematic approach. The latest statistical data reported that the share of poor people stand at 32 percent of the country's overall population. Having a direct link with widespread poverty, unemployment challenges 17 percent of Armenia's 2.9 million population, according to statistical data.

Amid the ongoing inevitable economic hassle these two painful issues carry for the country, state leaders are not looking to find solutions, believe the experts.

Former Prime Minister, MP Hrant Bagratyan slammed the government for allowing the country’s economy to collapse when he said "the country was heading towards its ruin".

Based on the current economic stagnation, Armenia got bad marks from Fitch and Moody's, as both downgraded their outlooks for the former Soviet nation's economic growth. The European Bank for Development and Reconstruction has even zeroed out its forecast on Armenia economy for 2015.