March in protest at funded pensions system in Armenia’s capital

The Prosperous Armenia, Armenian National Congress (ANC), Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) and Heritage parliamentary groups, as well as members of the initiative against funded pensions, have gathered in Freedom Square in Yerevan and started a march toward the Constitutional Court of Armenia.

Employees of different companies, members of civil initiatives, freedom-fighters (participants in the Nagorno-Karabakh war) are participating in the march.

ARF-D group member Armen Rustamyan stated that the protesters are determined to get the new law invalidated.

“Such a law in unacceptable in our country,” he said.

Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia group Naira Zohrabyan stated that “a downright lie is the claims by all the businessmen that are allegedly willing to pay for their employees. How are they going to do it for years?”

The authorities are pursuing this policy after agreeing it with businessmen, she said.

Haik Grigoryan of the initiative against funded pensions is sure that as soon as next January-February Armenia’s authorities will come to realize that “failing to take our opinion into account may have grave social and political consequences for the entire country, as considerable sections of Armenia’s population are supportive of this movement.”

“We have also lodged our complaint with the Human Rights Defender, who may apply to the Constitutional Court as well. Under massive pressure, the authorities will either have to meet our demands or face even graver problems. It may force them into concessions. Time will show, but it is a fact that our struggle will get a new impetus,” Grigoryan told Tert.am.

As regards Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s “positive opinion,” he said that the initiative never expected either the president or the premier to say anything different.

“The ruling Republican Party of Armenia has proved they are not going to make any concessions at this stage,” Grigoryan said.
 

Head of Staff, Constitutional Court, Arushan Hakobyan met with the protesters, who handed over a statement by the four parliamentary groups’ and initiative against funded pensions.

The official said the statement will be considered.

The march organizers thanked the participants and assured them of “further steps.”