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Armenia's authorities must not be trusted - opposition rep
16:46 - 08.12.13
In an interview with Tert.am, Zoya Tadevosyan, an Armenian National
Congress (ANC) member, addressed the compulsory pension contributions
system to be introduced in Armenia from January 1, 2014.
`The authorities cannot be trusted. They have proved they must not be
trusted,' she said.
With respect to the sale of 20% of ArmRusgasprom shares to Russian
Gazprom, Tadevodyan said that Armenia's authorities have always `lined
their pockets at people's expense.'
- Ms Tadevosyan, after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to
Armenia, when the sale of 20% of ArmRusgasprom shares to Gazprom was
announced, Armenia's $300m debt to Russian was made known. Part of the
debt was due to changed prices for Russian gas supplied to Armenia.
ANC members have over the past year stated the gas price was changed.
However, Armenia's minister of energy did not make any statements.
- The authorities are dishonest to the people they are responsible to.
They must be told about it because they are unaware of their
responsibility to the people. They are robbing the people. One cannot
rob people for many years and remain unnoticed. If they are silent,
they prove they are thieves. I think any normal society - and I have
no doubt we are a normal society - would rebel. We must not tolerate
thieves in our country. Their activities have nothing in common with
government or moral policy. Their only aim is to get rich and they
consider this country their property. I am greatly surprised at the
fact that not a single representative of Armenia's authorities is
handing in his resignation. None of them. They are worth one another.
- What's your opinion of the compulsory pension contributions system
to be introduced in Armenia?
- The relevant program was elaborated as a result of consultations
with US experts, pursuant to the Armenian government's order. But the
experts warned the authorities that Armenia's population was aging,
and the country was faced with serious demographic problems. That is,
launching the program would have unpredictable consequences. This
pension contribution model gained popularity in many countries, which
may have attracted Armenia's authorities. But, in contrast to many
other governments, our government's only aim is to involve as many
people as possible in the system. It is a new means of taxation, which
does not at all mean the people who are young now will live a life of
dignity when they grow old. Armenia's authorities cannot be trusted,
they have many times proved that. If the authorities did not rob their
own people or register offshore companies or waste huge sums to pay
bills at the best restaurants, we would save huge funds and trust our
authorities.
People would realize they should live in their own country instead of
leaving for other countries to earn daily bread. And we would not now
have this demographic situation. It is only the authorities that are
guilty.
- Only freedom-fighters (participants in the Nagorno-Karabakh war) are
expected to join the ANC march scheduled for December 10.
- I think that many people will take part. Only freedom-fighters have
stated their intention to join the march, but the citizens that
consider themselves mature must defend their rights that day. All the
others cannot be considered mature.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/12/08/tadevosyanz/
From: A. Papazian
16:46 - 08.12.13
In an interview with Tert.am, Zoya Tadevosyan, an Armenian National
Congress (ANC) member, addressed the compulsory pension contributions
system to be introduced in Armenia from January 1, 2014.
`The authorities cannot be trusted. They have proved they must not be
trusted,' she said.
With respect to the sale of 20% of ArmRusgasprom shares to Russian
Gazprom, Tadevodyan said that Armenia's authorities have always `lined
their pockets at people's expense.'
- Ms Tadevosyan, after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to
Armenia, when the sale of 20% of ArmRusgasprom shares to Gazprom was
announced, Armenia's $300m debt to Russian was made known. Part of the
debt was due to changed prices for Russian gas supplied to Armenia.
ANC members have over the past year stated the gas price was changed.
However, Armenia's minister of energy did not make any statements.
- The authorities are dishonest to the people they are responsible to.
They must be told about it because they are unaware of their
responsibility to the people. They are robbing the people. One cannot
rob people for many years and remain unnoticed. If they are silent,
they prove they are thieves. I think any normal society - and I have
no doubt we are a normal society - would rebel. We must not tolerate
thieves in our country. Their activities have nothing in common with
government or moral policy. Their only aim is to get rich and they
consider this country their property. I am greatly surprised at the
fact that not a single representative of Armenia's authorities is
handing in his resignation. None of them. They are worth one another.
- What's your opinion of the compulsory pension contributions system
to be introduced in Armenia?
- The relevant program was elaborated as a result of consultations
with US experts, pursuant to the Armenian government's order. But the
experts warned the authorities that Armenia's population was aging,
and the country was faced with serious demographic problems. That is,
launching the program would have unpredictable consequences. This
pension contribution model gained popularity in many countries, which
may have attracted Armenia's authorities. But, in contrast to many
other governments, our government's only aim is to involve as many
people as possible in the system. It is a new means of taxation, which
does not at all mean the people who are young now will live a life of
dignity when they grow old. Armenia's authorities cannot be trusted,
they have many times proved that. If the authorities did not rob their
own people or register offshore companies or waste huge sums to pay
bills at the best restaurants, we would save huge funds and trust our
authorities.
People would realize they should live in their own country instead of
leaving for other countries to earn daily bread. And we would not now
have this demographic situation. It is only the authorities that are
guilty.
- Only freedom-fighters (participants in the Nagorno-Karabakh war) are
expected to join the ANC march scheduled for December 10.
- I think that many people will take part. Only freedom-fighters have
stated their intention to join the march, but the citizens that
consider themselves mature must defend their rights that day. All the
others cannot be considered mature.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/12/08/tadevosyanz/
From: A. Papazian