Tevan Poghosyan: Amended Law on Funded Pension gave incomplete solution to problems (video)
The numerous street protests and public uproar over the funded pension reform forced the government to make amendments to the law, says Tevan Poghosyan, a member of the opposition Heritage faction. Anyway, he cannot understand why people should write applications to refuse from pensions. “If we decide to solve the problem let us do till the end. Let us sit down and discuss the issue. I guess the government thought that people will get tired of writing applications, many will not show interest, and they will benefit from that passivity,” he said. The bill was adopted by the National Assembly in its second reading on May 15, with the Rule of Law (OEK), Heritage Party, and Armenian National Congress (HAK) factions, exception of HAK MP Hrant Bagratyan, voting against the law. Bagratyan abstained from the vote. The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) factions also abstained, with the exception of two BHK lawmakers who voted against the bill. Tevan Poghosyan says there is no need to criticize the MPs who abstained from the vote. “People do what they think is right to do. We should respect their decision.” The MP also expressed hope that after September 30 the legislature will be able to develop a law that will give a complete solution to the problems. On April 2, the Constitutional Court ruled that the mandatory component of the pension law was unconstitutional and gave the Armenian government and parliament until September 30 to revise the law and comply it with the requirements of the constitution.
