In the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections, MP’s in Armenia with something to hide are trying their best to avoid reporters armed with official documents that can expose their Achilles heels.

One very potent weapon in our arsenal is the annual financial statements these MP’s must submit for public perusal. Naturally, we are not naive enough to take what these MP’s disclose at face value for they surely must be hiding a good portion of their wealth. But they are a start.

On July 21, we sent a five point questionnaire to Parliament President Hovik Abrahamyan. To simply things, we also forwarded him a list of businesses and assets he is rumoured to own – for example some 53 hectares of agricultural zoned land in the community of Mkhchyan and tens of properties scattered throughout Yerevan.

There are these properties as well – 1,500 hectares of vineyards in Artashat, 10 natural gas stations outside of Yerevan, 1/3 of the shares in the AraratCement plant, casinos and gasoline filling stations throughout the country on main roads outside Yerevan proper. There is also a vacation resort in the Crimea purchased in 2007 at a cost of $7 million. The list goes on...

Two months later, the National Assembly wrote back that a portion of the businesses and assets had no connection to Abrahamyan. As to what portion did belong to the parliament president, we were advised to review his financial disclosure.

I should point out that reporters are only given a bulletin based on the full financial disclosure. This does not fully reflect the person’s financial transactions for the entire year. Neither does it include specific information regarding his or her assets.

We brought this to the attention of the parliament speaker and sent him the 2009 disclosure he filled out.

Hovik Abrahamyan stood fast and never answered our questionnaire.

In any event, it’s also known that Abrahamyan owns the operating licenses for several mines. In 2010, a license was granted to Paramount Gold Mining, a company he owns. A license for exploratory purposes at the copper and molybdenum mines in Yelpin village was granted to him under the name of Argamik Ltd.

Despite these acquisitions, Abrahmyan disclosed less on his 2010 statements than his 2009 disclosures.

In 2009, Abrahamyan reported 29,499,760 AMD while in 2010 he reported 25,515,220 AMD. Maybe the 4 million decrease was due to unfavourable weather for crop growing in 2009? You decide.

There are some 90 hectares of agricultural land registered in his wife’s name alone in the village of Narek in Armavir Marz.

MP Samvel Aleksanyan has experienced a huge drop in revenues.

In 2009, he reported 439.5 million and only 10.5 million in 2010.

Despite calling himself ‘bankrupt’, Aleksanyan recently purchased the famous Pak Shuga (Enclosed Market) on Mashtots Avenue.

He too has not concealed his intention to run for re-election next year.