A rapidly growing party led by Armenia’s wealthiest government-connected businessman claimed on Wednesday to have already recruited a staggering 370,000 members, more than all other political groups taken together.If you're curious to know how politicians like Dodi Gago and others buy votes, check out this entry from a little while ago.
A leading member of Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia said it now has the muscle to win or at least finish second in next spring’s parliamentary elections.
“The recruitment process is continuing,” said Vartanian. “Our members are mainly people who have not been affiliated with other parties before.”
According to the Minutes of the Board meetings of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on the 2007 monetary and credit policy directions, the capital construction growth rates are expected to decrease with the agriculture and service sphere growth rates remaining the same. Certain rise is expected in the production growth rates, along with lower growth rates for domestic demand and higher export increase rates.It will be interesting to see how the year pans out.
The 2007 state budget envisages AMD 2 trn 322 bln worth nominal GDP, with the real GDP growth planned at 9% and the inflation at 4%.
Twenty-three road accidents were reported in the first week of the new year killing three and injuring 37 people, Armenian road police department said. Also 56 fires were reported in the same time span, one of which killed a 47 year-old woman.A better definition of "road accidents" would have been preferred. Are these car accidents? Are these people getting hit on the roads? Too much ambiguity, but a tragic set of numbers by any measure.
Armenia has closed the economic year with positive indices, says a message of RA Premier Andranik Margaryan. The Government managed to fully execute its state budget commitments on schedule, and minimum 13% economic growth was recorded at the end of 2006, the message says. The Government is simultaneously increasing social expenses, and last year was not an exception.No political shocks? That's for the May 2007 Elections!
The RA Premier stressed that a considerable rise in wages, pensions, allowances, allocation to the education, public health and other sectors is budgeted in 2007. However, numerous problems, such as unequal distribution of the gross domestic product, social polarization, more consistent struggle against corruption, enhancement of efficiency of reforms, still remain. Margaryan pointed out that the Government will make every effort to resolve the problems.
"The political year is of no less importance. We are closing it without shocks."
