Proposal Outvoted: New Pension Requirements to Come into Force on Jan. 1

The ruling coalition, comprised of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) and Rule of Law (OEK), voted down a proposal to postpone by one year the application of new mandatory contributions the pension system. The proposal was supported by 45 MPs from the Armenian National Congress (HAK), the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the Armenian Revolutionary Party (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D), and the Heritage Party, but they were outnumbered by the 54 MPs who voted against.

The ruling coalition's position and intention to vote against the proposal was stated earlier by head of the HHK faction Galust Sahakyan. 

During the vote, dozens of people protested against the new law outside the parliament building. After Sahakyan's statement, ARF-D MP Aghvan Vardanyan asked for a 20-minute recess and, speaking to journalists, said that he hopes that during that time the HHK MPs will change their mind.

HHK spokesperson, National Assembly Vice-President Eduard Sharmazanov, however, informed journalists that his party won't change its decision, since the law was adopted 3 years ago and at that time only 1 MP voted against (Viktor Dallakyan), while ARF-D and the Heritage Party protesting the law today  didn't participate in the vote. 

After the vote, ARF-D MP Vahan Hovhannisyan urged the parliamentary majority to go down to the protestors outside and explain the logic of their decision.

Note, protest organizers and representatives of four parliamentary factions went to the Ombudsman's Office to submit an appeal, after which they're preparing to appeal to the Constitutional Court.