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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
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