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26 August 2016

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Approaching its 25th anniversary, Armenia remains as one of the poorest countries in the former Soviet Union, said human rights activist Armine Sahakyan in her article published by The Huffington Post.

“It should be a time for joy. But like many Armenians I will be thinking about what might have been, about the opportunities lost,” said the author.

Corruption is rampant, and there’s a huge gap between the rich and poor, said Sahakyan.

“The government’s pension reform program of 2013 didn’t help our strapped pensioners,” said the author in her article. “It simply made working people’s paychecks smaller by forcing them to make mandatory pension-system contributions.”

The change led to street demonstrations, as did the government’s approval of transit-fee increases in 2013 and electricity-price increases in 2015, according to the article.

During the Soviet era, all of Armenia’s brightest students could gain entry to a top university, said Sahakyan adding that currently, mediocre students can enter an elite university by paying bribes.

“Money also talks in health care,” said the author. “If you need an operation or extensive treatment, you’d better have bribe money. Otherwise, you may not last long.”

“One of the major reasons why Armenia has been unable to do better since independence is that it is independent in name only,” reads the article. “In reality, it is still a Russian colony.”

Armenia had a great chance to reduce its economic dependence on Russia when, in the fall of 2013, it was ready to sign an association agreement with the European Union, said the author.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been trying to recreate the Soviet Union, summoned Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to the Kremlin for talks, she added.

“Shortly after the discussion ended, Sargsyan announced that Armenia would be joining the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Community instead of the EU,” said Sahakyan. “The announcement was greeted with street demonstrations in Armenia — to no avail.”