“We are fighting against the mandatory component and if the mandatory component is removed or the law was not properly introduced, we will continue our movement”, so responded Artashes Arabajyan, the member of “I am against” initiative, to the question of Aravot.am of whether the said initiative will put up with if it turns out that the enforcement of the Law on Funded Pension is suspended or somehow mitigated by the Constitutional Court’s decision.
Note that now the examination of the disputed case of constitutionality of provisions pertaining to the mandatory component of the Law on Funded Pension is still ongoing. To our question of whether the NA representative Hakob Hakobyan’s, to say the least, unprepared presence at the court session, and today’s not clear answers given by the representatives of the RA Government and the Central Bank (even the President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan interferes expecting for clear answers) does not suggest that they turn the blind eye to the constitutional dispute, as the Constitutional Court’s decision has already been made, Artashes Arabajyan responded, “I do not think that a blind eye is turned to the constitutional dispute. On the other hand, since the law initially had legislative gaps, I would consider unreasonable that they could properly defend.”
To our next question that given the tough questions of the Constitutional Court, whether they hope that the Constitutional Court would deem the mandatory component anti-constitutional, Artashes Arabajyan answered, “I do not cherish hope. Let’s see what the outcomes will be. It is a judicial process, and the question should be tough.” Aravot.am talked to the RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan. We inquired whether the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs Hakob Hakobyan’s speech at the Constitutional Court facilitates the government’s affair, or on the contrary, since there were opinions that he was present at the CC unprepared. The minister replied, “I do not think so. I think that Hakob Hakobyan clearly presented the approaches and the policy that is being implemented in the field. All these legislative initiatives are discussed in more detail in the social committee, up to seven hours of continuous debates, and Hakobyan is well aware of this sector.” To our observation that the members of the Constitutional Court are raising specific questions, however, no specific answers are given, even Gagik Harutyunyan is forced to intervene asking to give specific answers, maybe the government does not have the answers, or is refrained from answering, Mr. Asatryan replied, “Absolutely, simply I think that the social protection system is a complex and comprehensive system, and there are many professional nuances that are on much more professional level and therefore all the layers should be informed in detail so that the logical chain becomes more complete and rational.”
To our next question of whether given the tough questions by the members of the Constitutional Court, he is not scared that the government will lose in this constitutional debate, and the mandatory component will be recognized anti-constitutional, Artem Asatryan responded, “We do not see a problem with neither losing, nor winning. We are reviewing the future development vision of our county’s social protection system.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
