Epress.am News from Armenia
During a special meeting of the National Assembly on the issue of pension reform, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) faction announced that it will vote in favor of the revised bill, the Armenian National Congress (HAK) declared it is opposed, and the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) is still mulling it over.
ARF-D MP Artsvik Minasyan said, the law stipulates that no amendment can oblige citizens to transfer their property or assets to any fund — which is something that the ARF-D cannot be against.
"The bill proposes to recognize Article 76 as null and void, which means that there can be no liability for those who didn't make the transfers after January 1," said the MP.
HAK faction leader Levon Zurabyan explained his party's position by saying that the new bill is a hoax, and, in fact, the government with this bill wants to get the political parties' approval and then present it as a solution based on national consent.
"They are trying to make a separate deal with the political parties behind the people's back and acquire an instrument that will allow them to buy time and weaken pressure from [pressure group against pension reform] Dem Em and civic forces," he said.
Rule of Law (OEK) faction member Hovhannes Margaryan, in turn, said that after the government introduced the bill, it continued to make amendments, which have found a place today in their divided versions and raise new questions. "There was no discussion. We have to have an opportunity to ask questions," he said.
Recall, after RA Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan's statement on the funded pension system, the bill was reviewed by the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and submitted to the National Assembly.