Community Unification Project to Rob People of Right to Self-Government, Oppositionist Believes

Armenia's Parliament debated Wednesday on a government-initiated community enlargement project that envisages merger of at least 100 Armenian villages into 13 communities.

During the debate, opposition Armenian National Congress faction secretary Aram Manukyan noted that the project aimed to unify fully developed villages with their own typical features. “Two Noyemberyan villages with a population of 2000 and 4000 persons each are set to merge. These communities already have their own systems of local self-government which would only be destroyed by the project. How do you dare unify communities with a population of 3-4 thousand? These are fully developed villages, with their own culture and everything. You could have at least merge those that do not function as communities as such,” the oppositionist said.

Manukyan added that the project also violated Armenia's Constitution; “The Constitution clearly states that communities can be unified or separated to serve the public interests and the Parliament is therefore obliged to hear the communities' views on the project, which, by the way, are not favourable. This initiative is contrary to the rights of self-government as well as the people.”