ARF ACCUSES COALITION PARTNER OF RESORTING TO POPULISM
ArmenPress
Dec 16 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Revolutionary
Federation/Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) party, one of the three members of the
ruling coalition, accused today parliament speaker Arthur Baghdasarian
and two dozen deputies affiliated with his Orinats Yerkir Party, also a
members of the ruling coalition, of pursuing political ends by signing
under a motion of an independent parliament member, Hmayak Hovhanesian,
who collected 66 signatures of lawmakers demanding an extraordinary
parliament session to start debates over partial compensation to
the holders of depreciated Soviet-era bank accounts. The ARF and
the Republican Party of Prime Minister Andranik Margarian refused to
undersign the petition. Under Armenian law, President Robert Kocharian
must call an extraordinary parliament session next week.
Hrayr Karapetian, the secretary of the ARF parliamentary faction,
claimed today the goal of the initiative is not at all the return of
the deposits. Karapetian said before starting debates on the issue
it needs a thorough examination. He also argued that if the bill is
approved the government will have to cancel wage rise for teachers,
doctors, army officers and other low-paid workers, envisaged by 2005
budget. He also added that holders of old bank-accounts would not
be happy to receive about $30 in return for each one thousand Soviet
rubles, a sum that was equivalent, before the collapse of the former
Soviet Union, to more than $1000.
Under the bill drafted by Orinats Yerkir the government has to pay
$83 million in public funds to the former deposit holders within the
next ten years.
Karapetian said his party is not against the return of deposits but
argued that doing it the way proposed by Orinats Yerkir would do little
difference, suggesting that new, more effective ways should be found
to address the issue. He also denied allegations that differences
among the ruling coalition members may ignite a new tension. He added
that the party may boycott the extraordinary parliament session.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress