‘Fact’ Newspaper: ‘Live Streams’ Are Becoming Not a Transparent Working Evidence, But a Means to Conceal Secret Steps or ‘Whitewash’ Them

‘Fact’ newspaper reports: Information about the current government's extravagant spending has become a topic of active public discussion. This is quite natural, as citizens want public resources to be used purposefully, and waste to be avoided. Prime Minister Pashinyan continues to assure daily that his government is the most transparent.

In this context, it is noteworthy that about a month ago, information circulated in the media that the government of Armenia allocated approximately $2 million from the state budget for the renovation, refurbishment, and furnishing of the government residence serving Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his family in the Kond neighborhood. It was mentioned that the draft decision to reallocate funds from the state budget for the renovation of this residence was labeled as 'highly classified’ to avoid another scandal, given the significant amount allocated.

Recently, the head of the government staff, Eduard Aghajanyan, addressed this issue but avoided mentioning how much money was spent on the Kond residence, stating that decisions were made through classified procedures, as required by law. According to Aghajanyan, eight houses in total are being renovated, and the least amount was allocated for the Prime Minister’s residence.

Thus, for an entire month, the public did not receive an answer to the question of whether it was true that an excessive amount had been spent on the Prime Minister's residence and how these expenses could be justified. After these rumors hung in the air for a long time, Prime Minister Pashinyan decided to go live and provide clarification on the matter. During the live broadcast, the Prime Minister showcased the rooms of the residence, trying to demonstrate exactly what had been renovated, stating that the amount spent was at least ten times less than that mentioned in the media.

According to the Prime Minister, around $200,000 of state funds were spent on the renovation of one residence only, yet the public did not receive an answer to what was the extreme necessity for such renovations when many citizens are living in difficult social conditions and such funds could have alleviated their burdens. Additionally, if the said residence had previously served its purpose, what was preventing the Prime Minister from leaving it in its existing condition, at least for now, as long as the so-called ‘economic revolution’ had not materialized? Or is it that by ‘economic revolution,’ the authorities meant exclusively the improvement of their own lives?

The Prime Minister's live broadcast aimed to dispel public doubts, but on the contrary, new doubts have emerged. It raises the question of why the Prime Minister considers the matter settled by only presenting the renovation of his residence and why no report is provided to the public on the exact amount spent on other residences’ renovations.

And in general, isn’t it time to understand that ‘live streams’ are increasingly becoming not a testament to transparent work but rather a means to obscure secret steps or ‘whitewash’ them? Indeed, the blessings of this order do not conceal overall objectives,” the newspaper writes. For more details, see today’s issue of the newspaper.