5 August 2006

NO SERVICE FOR “ARMAVIA”

RF Air-navigation service informed yesterday that the Russian state corporation of air traffic organization wouldn’t allow the Armenian «Armavia» planes' air-navigation service in air territory of Russia from 14 August. That decision connects with $800 thousands debts which «Armavia» has. The commercial director of «Armavia» Samvel Mailian has denied that decision saying that «Armavia» has no debts, and the company has no problems with the Russian party. Mr. Mailian thinks the information has a political pretext.

GUESS THE GUILTY

Let me tell about a characteristic feature for the Armenian broadcast. A rural view, happy children, a teacher standing in the center of the group of that children who is telling about a benevolent oligarch's endless kindness, high human qualities, good works he has done. «Let those people increase in the world», the teacher says gratefully. «Let their building hands and anxious hearts cure the pains and need of our community», she adds, 'Let their property be multiplied for giving something to the people, too.

This is local, popular way of apprehension of the benevolent oligarch. Not trying to estimate this feature, let’s understand how fair social grounds of the apprehension are and whether those oligarchs are indeed worth for glory. Small business in Armenia is in bad conditions. Middle business doesn't exist. As regards the big business, everybody knows that the ruling clique of the state controls it. The owners of so-called comprador capital have become rich by avoiding of paying taxes, and the authority approves it. In other words, they have robbed great money from me, you, the state, from the future of our children and country. And when the benevolent oligarchs give something to the crowd, the crowd becomes happy without realizing that those oligarchs have robbed them in reality. And it is still unknown, who is guilty: the benevolent robber or the grateful crowd.

Tigran Avetisian