The State Audit Office Lacks Authority to Conduct Inspections in Communities

The State Audit Office does not have the authority to conduct inspections in local communities. This was stated by Emin Yeritsyan, the president of the Union of Communities of Armenia, in an interview with NEWS.am when asked about the legality of the visits of the head of the State Audit Office, Davit Sansaryan, to the regions.

“The audit office does not have the authority to exercise control in communities. When it physically goes, it’s another issue; the conversation is about oversight in the community. This body is not endowed with such authority,” he said.

Yeritsyan also emphasized that the presumption that everyone has committed abuses, labeling all community leaders as 'thieves,' is very wrong. “If a person is working well but this cliché is imposed on everyone, what motivation should they have afterward?”

According to him, demanding the resignation of village heads is also illegal. “If a person has been elected, they should carry out their duties until the end of their term. Their responsibility is political, from election to election. If there is a problem and someone in the community believes that the mayor has committed abuse, they should turn to law enforcement agencies, as this resolves the issue. However, if a group expresses non-confidence through political questioning and demands resignations, it becomes clear that this is not about abuse,” he concluded.

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