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Pension Row: Pressure Group Plans Silent Action On March 28 Not To I

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  • Pension Row: Pressure Group Plans Silent Action On March 28 Not To I

    PENSION ROW: PRESSURE GROUP PLANS SILENT ACTION ON MARCH 28 NOT TO INTERFERE WITH JUSTICE AT CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

    Pensions | 27.03.14 | 10:27

    Photolure

    By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
    ArmeniaNow reporter

    Members of the Dem.am movement campaigning against the compulsory
    component of the funded pensions system plan a silent action of
    protest on March 28, in front of the Constitutional Court when its
    judges gather to start the consideration of a relevant lawsuit filed
    by Armenia's leading opposition parties. No statements or speeches
    are planned during the protest.

    "We will convey our appeal for impartiality in a unique and symbolic
    way and then, since we do not intend to interfere with the normal
    operation of the High Court, will conclude our activity for the day,
    expecting an impartial decision from the Court," the statement released
    by the movement said.

    The group embracing young people who have held various actions of
    protest during the past several months say they will not take part
    in the actions of other forces planned for that day.

    Rallies for March 28 have been called by opposition Heritage
    party leader Raffi Hovannisian and chairman of the National
    Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan.

    "We ask all forces who have planned public events for March 28 to
    refrain from actions that would interfere with the normal work of
    the Constitutional Court so that the Court does not decide to delay
    its sitting, putting the society in a standby mode again," the Dem.am
    team said.

    Under several provisions of the law on funded pensions, all working
    citizens in Armenia born after 1973 must pay five to ten percent of
    their salaries to privately owned pension funds in addition to other
    social security payments made by their employers. They will be able
    to use their accumulated funds when they reach the retirement age,
    which is set at 63 for both men and women in Armenia. These provisions
    as well as the fact that the application of the law is compulsory for
    citizens under 40 are challenged by the pressure group and a number
    of leading opposition parties in Armenia.

    During the Wednesday question-and-answer session at the National
    Assembly lawmaker Tigran Urikhanyan, representing the "alternative"
    Prosperous Armenia Party, commented on Prime Minister Tigran
    Sargsyan's offer of dialogue to Dem.am. The youth activists answered
    that they were ready to engage in dialogue, but only around removing
    the provisions of the law that imply compulsion.

    Government Chief of Staff, Minister Vache Gabrielyan, who earlier
    this week said that the government was ready for concessions in the
    matter, said that they were ready to work with Dem.am to redress the
    existing omissions in the law, but he made it clear that he did not
    think it was necessary to speak in the language of preconditions.

    "During a working meeting with Dem.am we will discuss all issues that
    are subject to change and will try to find some common ground. I
    believe that this meeting should take place after the decision of
    the Constitutional Court so that all the boundaries are clear,"
    the government official said.

    Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan also spoke about possible changes
    in the law. "We find that the law does have some shortcomings and
    there will be a legislative change. But it won't be under pressure,
    but as part of debate. If we see some omissions in the law, we will
    address them by all means. It has nothing to do with pressure,"
    Abrahamyan said earlier this week.

    It is already known that at the Constitutional Court the four
    political parties that dispute the law (Heritage, the Armenian National
    Congress, Dashnaktsutyun and Prosperous Armenia) will be represented
    by Dashnaktsutyun MP Artsvik Minasyan, human rights activist
    Artak Zeynalyan and lawyer Mary Khachatryan. The government will be
    represented by first deputy head of the State Social Security Service
    Smbat Saiyan, First Deputy Minister of Justice Grigor Muradyan and
    Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Finance Karen Tamazyan. The Central
    Bank will be represented by Deputy Governor Nerses Yeritsyan, Central
    Bank Financial System Regulation Department head Mher Abrahamyan and
    Central Bank Financial System Regulation Department leading specialist
    Vigen Shahnazaryan.

    The Gallup International Association Armenia office recently conducted
    a survey showing that in Yerevan nearly 87 percent of respondents
    aged 18-41 are opposed to the pension reform, and only 7.5 percent
    are in favor of it.

    http://armenianow.com/society/pensions/53047/armenia_pension_protest_demam_initiative

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