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YEREVAN RESIDENTS 'THROWN UNDER THE BUS'
http://asbarez.com/111903/yerevan-residents-%E2%80%98thrown-under-the-bus%E2%80%99/
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013
Young people in Yerevan protest the latest hike in public transit rates
(photo by hetq.am)
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
It's been three days now that residents of Yerevan are staging protests
at City Hall against a decision to hike public transportations rates
by 50 percent from 100 drams to 150 drams (the rate for the smaller
trolley buses were raised from 50 drams to 100 drams). The protests
have also been marred by clashes with police, who have arrested then
released several activists. But tensions are high and, as the saying
goes, residents in Yerevan feel that they were "thrown under the
bus." Indeed they were.
The citizens' feeling of abandonment and betrayal, however, extends
beyond the borders of Yerevan-proper into all of Armenia as prices for
basic essentials have increased since the two elections-presidential
and Yerevan municipality-despite promises by candidates and ruling
party officials of increased wages and no sharp rises.
Almost immediately after the presidential elections in Armenia,
government announced an increase of electricity and gas prices. Then
the announcement was made that public transportation prices would
increase, forcing citizens to shoulder the costs, while not seeing an
increase in their daily wages. Parliament failed to pass legislation
last spring to increase minimum wages.
The bizarre system of public transportation administration in Yerevan
also doesn't bode well for residents, many of whom rely on it as
their primary mode of transportation. The system is run by privately
owned transport companies, most of which are run by government-linked
individuals. The price hike is also forcing drivers to increase
revenues that are paid to the company owners.
The beneficiaries of this fare hike are the owners of the routes,
one of which is reportedly owned and operated by the son of Henrik
Navasardyan, the director of Yerevan's public transport authority.
According to hetq.am, Navasardyan is in fact the owner of the No. 18
bus route in the Armenian capital. The route is operated by a company
called Dyako-Art, which is owned by Navasardyan's 22 year-old son
Andranik. The director of the company is another relative, Artak
Navasardyan.
The public transportation fare hike is emblematic of a government
run amuck by greedy oligarchs and is the latest is a long string of
economic decisions that leave the public holding the bag while those
controlling the coffers become more emboldened as they line their
pockets with ill-gotten wealth.
President Serzh Sarkisian, during his "Toward a More Secure Armenia"
re-election campaign promised that his government would initiate
far-reaching economic reforms to improve the quality of life for
Armenia's citizens. Since the elections, however, the citizens have
had to endure not only being duped, once again, by their government,
but also price increases in the basic essentials of daily life.
The public outcry is justified and must be supported. To stand
in solidarity with this movement will bolster the activists drive
to further their cause for more just socio-economic conditions in
Armenia. The fact that this protest movement is being spearheaded
by youth is doubly encouraging since they are taking their rightful
place in society and, through their activism, are trying to instill
change in their country-our homeland.
Let this be the impetus for citizens of Armenia to reclaim their
rights in Armenia and end the government's ill-conceived policies,
which only hurt Armenia's citizens.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://asbarez.com/111903/yerevan-residents-%E2%80%98thrown-under-the-bus%E2%80%99/
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013
Young people in Yerevan protest the latest hike in public transit rates
(photo by hetq.am)
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
It's been three days now that residents of Yerevan are staging protests
at City Hall against a decision to hike public transportations rates
by 50 percent from 100 drams to 150 drams (the rate for the smaller
trolley buses were raised from 50 drams to 100 drams). The protests
have also been marred by clashes with police, who have arrested then
released several activists. But tensions are high and, as the saying
goes, residents in Yerevan feel that they were "thrown under the
bus." Indeed they were.
The citizens' feeling of abandonment and betrayal, however, extends
beyond the borders of Yerevan-proper into all of Armenia as prices for
basic essentials have increased since the two elections-presidential
and Yerevan municipality-despite promises by candidates and ruling
party officials of increased wages and no sharp rises.
Almost immediately after the presidential elections in Armenia,
government announced an increase of electricity and gas prices. Then
the announcement was made that public transportation prices would
increase, forcing citizens to shoulder the costs, while not seeing an
increase in their daily wages. Parliament failed to pass legislation
last spring to increase minimum wages.
The bizarre system of public transportation administration in Yerevan
also doesn't bode well for residents, many of whom rely on it as
their primary mode of transportation. The system is run by privately
owned transport companies, most of which are run by government-linked
individuals. The price hike is also forcing drivers to increase
revenues that are paid to the company owners.
The beneficiaries of this fare hike are the owners of the routes,
one of which is reportedly owned and operated by the son of Henrik
Navasardyan, the director of Yerevan's public transport authority.
According to hetq.am, Navasardyan is in fact the owner of the No. 18
bus route in the Armenian capital. The route is operated by a company
called Dyako-Art, which is owned by Navasardyan's 22 year-old son
Andranik. The director of the company is another relative, Artak
Navasardyan.
The public transportation fare hike is emblematic of a government
run amuck by greedy oligarchs and is the latest is a long string of
economic decisions that leave the public holding the bag while those
controlling the coffers become more emboldened as they line their
pockets with ill-gotten wealth.
President Serzh Sarkisian, during his "Toward a More Secure Armenia"
re-election campaign promised that his government would initiate
far-reaching economic reforms to improve the quality of life for
Armenia's citizens. Since the elections, however, the citizens have
had to endure not only being duped, once again, by their government,
but also price increases in the basic essentials of daily life.
The public outcry is justified and must be supported. To stand
in solidarity with this movement will bolster the activists drive
to further their cause for more just socio-economic conditions in
Armenia. The fact that this protest movement is being spearheaded
by youth is doubly encouraging since they are taking their rightful
place in society and, through their activism, are trying to instill
change in their country-our homeland.
Let this be the impetus for citizens of Armenia to reclaim their
rights in Armenia and end the government's ill-conceived policies,
which only hurt Armenia's citizens.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress