Epress.am News from Armenia
Not solving the homeless problem in Gyumri, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is seeking revenge on Gyumri inhabitants for not voting for him, said Chair of Gyumri's Asparez Journalists' Club Levon Barseghyan (pictured) at a press conference in Yerevan's Media Center today.
He said that construction for housing for homeless people in Armenia's second-largest city stopped a year ago, explained by the need to make adjustments. Barseghyan believes that the next stage of construction will commence on the threshold of the next federal elections. Recall, according to official data, in the 2013 presidential election, Serzh Sargsyan lost in Shirak marz (province).
"Serzh Sargsyan, probably, saw films about revenge and decided to seek revenge on Gyumri residents — I don't have another explanation. Not fulfilling his promises, he put his 'I' above his dignity," he said, adding that the president promised to solve the problem of at least those homeless people who are on the list by 2013, which hasn't happened.
The priority for the Armenian government today, Barseghyan said, is composting toilets and re-paving paved streets in Yerevan, while the homeless issue is not important — they can emigrate.
"On September 30 last year, when they failed to complete the program, they said, there is a need to make adjustments. Now it turns out that they still have another 3 months — to adjust. Let me remind you that the Gyumri City Council last year sent a letter to the prime minister, giving the number of 1,500 homeless on the list. Also mentioned were those who were not included in the list. In response, the urban development minister wrote that there are 30,000 homeless in Armenia," he said.