Years after Nikol Pashinyan criticized Armenia’s former government for excessive use of official vehicles, his cabinet has approved the purchase of 49 new cars at a cost of over 1 billion drams ($2.7 million).
The decision, made during a cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister on July 11, was not accompanied by an explanation. A government statement mentioned that the electric and hybrid vehicles will be purchased from a local dealership representing the Swedish carmaker Volvo.
According to the statement, three of the cars will be used by high-ranking government officials, though it did not specify who they are or their positions. The statement also did not disclose the recipients of the remaining vehicles.
A spokeswoman for Armenia’s Committee for the State Property Management, which will oversee the procurement, declined to provide a list of the officials, citing potential changes before the end of the year.
Even the Armenian Ministry of Finance sought clarification on this issue in its written comments on the July 11 decision submitted to the prime minister’s office. It is also unclear if the government plans to decommission an equivalent number of existing limousines.
Varuzhan Hoktanian, programs director at Armenia’s leading anticorruption watchdog, labeled the acquisition a “luxury” and criticized the lack of transparency.
Before coming to power in 2018, Pashinyan, as an opposition parliamentarian, condemned the large number of government vehicles, arguing there should be no more than 35 limousines for the country’s highest-ranking officials.
The total number of government vehicles does not appear to have decreased during his six-year rule. Furthermore, Pashinyan has faced criticism for purchasing additional expensive cars for his and his family’s security detail.
