Flashmob in NA against adoption of 2019 state budget bill (video)
The Armenian parliament adopted the 2019 state budget bill. 66 MPs voted in favor of the draft budget, 4 voted against and 2 abstained. Ahead of the vote, Republican party members who voted against the bill, announced their opinions. According to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov, this is an inert budget, so he will vote against the bill. "Through this bill], the economy will not develop, but it will regress. This will not create jobs, but the number of jobs and investments will decrease," he said. Member of the RPA Armen Ashotyan joined the flashmob of his colleagues, stating that he would vote against, respecting the party's decision. According to Ashotyan, he expresses the opinions of those who are disappointed by the timely and unfulfilled promises. Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly Arpine Hovhannisyan, who also voted against 2019 state budget project, noted that the faction has never ceased personal opinions of individuals and anyhow lawmakers are free to vote at their discretion. "Our stance has not changed," Baghdasaryan said. Tsarukyan faction MP Tigran Urikhanyan reminded that the number of poor people, the crisis of migration, the unemployment rate, the environment of disappointment and inequality have been manifested by the budget bills of the previous years. So, their faction will support for the implementation of obligations assumed by the incumbent government.
