Only one out of ten Armenian nationals are satisfied with the work of local self-governance bodies

Only one out of ten Armenian nationals are satisfied with the work of local self-governance bodies. This is attested by the data of the report on Public Participation in Local Self-Governance 2016 of the Caucasian Center for Research Resources. Survey participants were more pleased with maintaining cleanness of the communities by local self-governance bodies and less pleased with their protection of environment and conservation of natural resources, conduct of oversight over the healthcare standards and their work to maintain local roads and bridges.

More than one third of the respondents, 38.1% trusted their community heads without any reservation and about one fourth, 24.4%, trusted members of the municipal councils. Only 13% of the respondents highly estimated the level of transparency in the work of local self-governance bodies. Specifically, the respondents were displeased with the transparency in the financial activities and decision making of local self-governance bodies. 

The majority of the surveyed Armenian nationals, 58.6%, were convinced that any problem could be solved with bribes to local self-governance bodies, and 79.6% – through connections. During the six months preceding the survey only 16.5% of the surveyed Armenian nationals applied to their local self-governance bodies to address some issue.  

Community residents, as a rule, did not participate in the work of local self-governance bodies. During the six months preceding the survey only 2.4% of the respondents took part in the sessions of their community councilors, and only 1.7% participated in community budget discussions.  

The prevailing majority of the survey participants were not privy to the decisions adopted by local self-governance bodies. Thirteen point four per cent of the respondents have noted that they are familiar with the decisions adopted by their local self-governance bodies. Ninety-one per cent of the respondents did not know the 2015 budget amount of their communities.

The prevailing part of the respondents were not aware of the Armenian legislation on local self-governance. Ninety point two per cent of the respondents were not aware of the governance decentralization process in Armenia. The majority of the respondents, 58.9%, were also unaware of the community consolidation process. Nevertheless, their level of participation in the elections to local self-governance bodies was quite high. Three fourths of the respondents participated in the last elections preceding the survey.