Poverty problem is surmountable, says Pashinyan

YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. Republican Party (HHK) faction MP Hakob Hakobyan asked candidate for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about his tasks in social affairs if elected to office.

Speaking at the ongoing parliamentary debate on electing a Prime Minister, Hakobyan said that the pre-election program of Civil Contract – the party led by Pashinyan – doesn’t specially include provisions about social issues, whereas as a future Prime Minister he must make his party program the core of his policy.

Hakobyan asked what approach Pashinyan has over demographics, pension, salaries and poverty.

“Regarding poverty there is a simple solution, we have budget revenues accordingly, economy which is ready, which is able to provide the minimal and more needs of the people. It is obvious that one of the reasons of the current changes is that Armenians understood that no longer should they have hopes for the solution of the problem with the ruling majority and that changes are required”, Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan says he is receiving numerous calls from wealthy businessmen from the Diaspora who are saying that they are ready to come and invest in Armenia.

“A leap development awaits for our economy not on behalf of the government’s focus, a magic stick, but rather on behalf of clear investment flow from the Armenian Diaspora. We are expecting significant increase of budget revenues, which in turn will bring to opening of new jobs, increase of pensions and decrease of poverty. Of course, I can’t say now to what percent poverty will drop, but I am convinced that poverty, as a problem in Armenia, is surmountable,” he said.

In response, Hakobyan said that the answer concerned only to decreasing unemployment and therefore the subsequent cut of poverty, however a clear response wasn’t made regarding salaries and pensions.

In response, Pashinyan said that economic development and creation of jobs will naturally bring to demand for employees, the greater the more higher paid.

“If jobs, budgetary revenue problems are solved in a developing economy, the other problems can’t remain on the same level”, he said.

The extraordinary sitting has kicked off in the Armenian parliament where lawmakers are debating the election of a new Prime Minister. 102 MPs are in attendance.

The only nominated candidate for Prime Minister is opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was nominated by the opposition Yelk faction.

Two other factions – Tsarukyan and the ARF – have endorsed the opposition MPs candidacy.

Pashinyan will need at least 53 votes to be elected Prime Minister, which means he will require at least 6 votes from the ruling party.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia – known as the National Assembly. The ARF faction – (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan