Four months ahead of the Parliamentary elections in Armenia, many businessmen proclaim that they are planning to participate in the Parliamentary elections 2012, even though the President of Armenia, the Prime minister and a number of Republicans have repeatedly stated that business will be separated from politics.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has repeatedly stated that business must consistently be separated from the state system and the authorities. Instead the Government must continue learning how to respect and secure any citizen’s and businessman’s interest.

According to press, the businessmen and “oligarchs” from Republican Party will file their candidacy by the majoritatian voting system. The names of lawmakers Grigory Margaryan, Samvel Alexanyan, Ashot Aghababyan and others are circulated.

Moreover, some businessmen who do not have a parliamentary mandate now get prepared for the upcoming Parliamentary elections, too.

Former lawmaker, member of the ruling Republican Party, Hakob Hakobyan plans to participate in the upcoming Parliamentary elections by the majoritatian voting system (from Echmiadzin). Hakobyan owns the Zvartnots Hotel Complex, a casino, a compressed natural gas station, etc.

“I am a property owner; however, I do not deal with business anymore. My two sons take care of my seven enterprises. I believe that if one wants to enter politics than he or she must stop being involved in business first,” Hakobyan told ArmeniaNow.

According to him, the rich experience of a businessman secures professional skills which can later be used in the legislative work.

Heritage Party Board member Karine Hakobyan says that a lawmaker of the National Assembly must be honest, a person of principle and great knowledge, a patriot, and a broad-minded person.

“In this case we would not have the situation that we face now. Currently, the National Assembly is like a blanket, which is pulled by anyone who wants to keep his or her interests. If the president [of Armenia] says that a businessman and an oligarch must not be at the National Assembly, then the Central Electoral Commission must not accept the applications submitted by businessmen who are mainly from Prosperous Armenia Party. However, this refers not only to Prosperous Armenia’s businessmen,” Karine Hakobyan says.

Electoral and political technologies expert Armen Badalyan says that businessmen enter the National Assembly being led by the stereotypes of the past 20 years: “We will be from the ruling team, we will vote for all the Government-submitted bills, and instead the Government will not put pressure on us through taxes.”