Now, the issue of alleged bribes being given in order to receive good marks has been brought out into the open after the results of a startling new poll, conducted by the Sargis Tkhruni Youth Student Union, affiliated to Armenia’s Social Democratic Party. Out of 2000 students - five per cent of all the students in Armenia - 1821 said that there was corruption in their colleges, according to the survey.Of course, you should realize that the sponsor of the poll is Armenia's Social Democratic Party. The results from this survey could be used for political gain, as is usually the case. Regardless, bribery has become a part of normal life in Armenia. And it has to stop.
A striking 93 per cent of respondents to the poll suggested that lecturers’ salaries should be increased to discourage them from taking bribes.
"Nowadays those who pass their exams with a bribe are regarded with respect and envy, and not with pity," he said. “Instead of being condemned these students are examples for others to follow."
In 2006, nearly five times more interviewees (67.7%) than in 2002 (14%) stated that corruption has always existed in Armenia. The majority of interviewees (64.0%) believe that the level of corruption has increased during the last three years.It is not yet known how much the surveying organization was bribed to produce favorable - or unfavorable, depending on your perspective - findings on corruption. Just kidding!
While prioritizing the solutions to improve the current situation, 89.0% of the respondents pointed to a necessity of ensuring free and fair elections. They also referred to strengthening law enforcement (93.9%) and punishment of those involved in corruption (91.9%) as a key to the success of reducing corruption in the country.
Traffic police have long been associated with bribery in Armenia rather than road safety. Armen Malkhasyan, a lawyer at the Yerevan police service, says that eliminating the taking of bribes from drivers is one of the main purposes of the program. That is why the program replaced stationary officers with car patrols throughout the city.By the way, this program is to cost $40 million until 2010. Let's hope it works, because police corruption is one of those Communist-era stains that just will not go away.
“You won’t see now any stationary roadside policemen. If you do, call the police,” says Malkhasyan. The installation of cameras with fixed-penalty fines for violations is intended to make the work of policemen easier, because many do not dare to stop luxury cars of state officials or wealthy businessmen at present.
