Talking about the presidential election at the Henaran (bearing) club today, Artak Zakaryan, an RPA MP and the chairman of the National Assembly foreign relations committee, said that Serzh Sargsyan was the pioneer of solving our country’s problems; that he enjoyed the people’s trust, and that was the reason why people would entrust him with power in the next 5 years etc. www.aravot.am inquired what prevented Serzh Sargsyan from stopping emigration existing in the country in the past 5 years, ensuring economic growth and making the minimum wage at least equal to the minimum basket of goods. Artak Zakaryan said in response that it had happened irrespective of their wishes, because of the processes under way around the world, which had been impeding factors: “The financial crisis, which even Spain, Greece and Portugal cannot overcome today.” As for Armenia, according to A. Zakaryan: “With regard to our country, which has closed borders with two neighboring countries, has an ability to build up a state after regaining the statehood lost for many years and to resist competition, I think your question is quite normal and natural. However, none of our social programs suffered, our soldier and our teacher were able to work so that no social process suffered. There is no denying, the wage is low, there is no denying, the benefits are low, but let us not measure everything by that.”
In response to our observation that the society saw that he drove Toyota Camry; that General Manvel drove a few Jeeps, and they didn’t have money to buy food, the society couldn’t understand that unfairness, if he had driven Zhiguli too, the society would have understood why it didn’t get higher wages, Artak Zakaryan said, “Toyota Camry is not mine, it belongs to the National Assembly. It is also a means of organizing work. And you can see yourself what we do for the society in terms of urban development, as well as infrastructure, gas supply, supply of electricity and manifold business investments… everything is done. So you think our life hasn’t changed, everything has regressed?”
Last year Serzh Sargsyan convened a consultation and said that there were problems in the country, which had to be solved. It was before the parliamentary election. Now, before the presidential election, he has convened a consultation again and has said in surprise “Hey, Seyran, Dero, Tigran….” In response to a question of www.aravot.am why the president remembered the country’s problems, kickbacks only before elections, Artak Zakaryan said, “The task of the head of state is to draw attention with certain regularity. It is what the Armenian President does in the form of consultations.”
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Hripsime JEBEJYAN
