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Armenia's Prime Minister Convoluted Speech: 'I am both for and against pension reform'

Newly appointed Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan today presented a seven point plan that he believes can serve as the basis for reforming the current pension system law.

Abrahamyan said that after consultations with the all parties to the debate he remains committed to a pension system that will ensure all in Armenia a secure and dignified old age.

The prime minister said that the drafting of such a system must be done collaboratively with the participation of all political parties and social movements, including those currently opposed to the mandatory pension law.

Abrahamyan said that the parliament would be scheduling discussions on a new pension system bill starting on April 28 that would effectively halt the mandatory provision of the current system that has caused the ire of many.

He said that the Constitutional Court’s decision of April 2, which found several provisions of the law unconstitutional, has forced the government to modify the pension reforms package in such a way that it not only is in line with the law but will also be accepted by the public at large.

The Court gave the government until September 30 to rectify those problematic clauses.

Abrahamyan said he was sure that any future pension system in Armenia would have mandatory component, but that it would be drafted in such a way to be conducive to all and would encourage everyone to participate in the process.  

He called the process “mandatory but not coerced”.

In an attempt to clarify what all this means, Abrahamyan said: “As of now, with the new law, the mandatory component of the pension reforms [the government’s term for the pension system] has been halted until the acceptance of the new legislative package.”

Concluding his speech, Abrahamyan used a play on words incorporating the name of the social movement Dem Em (I Am Against) that has been the most vociferous and active opponent of the mandatory pension system.

Abrahamyan announced that: “I too am against anyone who violates the RA Constitution; I am against not clarifying any unanswered questions that our citizens might have; but more importantly, I am for finding the most efficient and acceptable path towards pension reform.”

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