Prime Minister Calls for Dialogue on Pension Reform, Dem Em Pressure Group Responds

The Dem Em pressure group, opposed to the new mandatory component of the pension system, said it will enter into a dialogue with the Armenian prime minister when there is a clear message that there is willingness to remove the mandatory component from the new law and a desire to discuss a new version of the law — without the mandatory component. The group made this statement in response to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's request made earlier today that the government is prepared for dialogue with the youth of the Dem Em movement.

"Dem Em has always attached importance to and valued dialogue. We have proven this with our behavior: prior to the start of the Constitutional Court process, [we sent] a number of letters to various authorities, including the prime minister; meetings; and at our request, the four non-ruling National Assembly factions convened a special parliamentary meeting, which was boycotted by the majority. 

"Nevertheless, welcoming the prime minister's offer of dialogue, we are confident that our struggle will continue until the mandatory component is completely removed from the law, regardless of whether that will be through the Constitutional Court ruling or not, because the law, in addition to the legal plane, is also on a social plane, which is no less important. It is anti-social and inhumane," reads the Dem Em statement [AM].