Today in response to a question whether she didn’t think as National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan that the Armenian National Congress (ANC) proposal to give up on expensive cars had been a pre-election PR action, Lyudmila Sargsyan, an ANC MP, said at the Pastark (argument) club today, “Not at all. What PR action can the proposal of the ANC not to buy cars be? We just think that the condition of the country is not that good for the National Assembly to afford such a luxury and buy very expensive cars for parliamentary groups and committees. We think that they can give a bit more modest car. There was no element of PR in it. We think that it is not that right to give such expensive cars to the National Assembly parliamentary groups, when our people are in such a hard social condition. We can move around in much more restrained cars.” In response to a question of www.aravot.am that the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) MPs had explained that using this car required much less money, it consumed less fuel etc., Ms. Sargsyan said, “The PAP has its opinion, we have ours. Perhaps, the PAP thinks good cars are more comfortable. Who said that it was bad to have good cars? If they want to spend less money, let them use natural gas, it will be very cheap. I wouldn’t be against, if I got a car in accordance with the law. I don’t see anything bad in it, but it should be modest.” As for what car Ms. Sargsyan would like to have, she said that she didn’t know much about cars, “The important thing is cheapness. Because a car is just a means of transportation and it has become an idol in our country. The social condition of a man suggests what car he drives. We don’t care about it. We just need a means of transportation, that’s all.” www.aravot.am inquired what she could buy as a housewife for 35 thousand AMD determined as the minimum wage, “I made a speech in the National Assembly and asked the Cabinet a question whether they could imagine their life today on 35 thousand AMD. If they can, let them put forward their minimum basket and offer it to the people.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
