Epress.am News from Armenia
In a speech given in parliament today, opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan declared that the National Assembly on Wednesday eliminated the institution of unemployment, declaring it immoral to give 18,000 AMD (about $45 USD) to the unemployed. This was symbolic in light of the fact that on the same day, the National Assembly deliberated raising Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s salary from 436 thousand AMD to 1 million 322 thousand AMD, and RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s and RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan’s salaries from 373 thousand to 1 million 190 thousand.
“They are those people whereupon during their time in office, poverty in Armenia rose from 27.6% to 35% and emigration multiplied. One might think that these officials don’t have money, received low wages, and that’s why the consequences of their terms are catastrophic for Armenia. The members of government have an argument: they will say that the 2014 budget provides for an overall increase in salaries and pensions. Yes, the average salary of teachers will increase by 4.7% and if today, teachers receive salaries that are 2.3 times less than that of the Minister of Education and Science, after this bill is adopted, they will receive 5.3 times less,” said Pashinyan.
According to the Armenian National Congress MP, adopting such a decision on the backdrop of high poverty rates in the country is nothing other than cynicism. “Why should Serzh Sargsyan’s salary increase? For occupying Yerevan with tanks in 2008 or for making Armenia an object of ridicule in Russia and Europe?”
Pashinyan also wondered why it is necessary to raise MPs’ salaries, saying there is no reason for this. Pashinyan added that he will vote against the bill to increase the wages of officials.
Video uploaded on YouTube by user Nikol Pashinyan.