While 27 MPs must pay into Armenia's new mandatory pension fund, the 104 others can do so on a voluntary basis. But so far, none have chosen this route.

In other words, even those MPs rabidly supporting the pension reforms have no desire to pay into the fund. Aren’t these deputies concerned about their prosperous old age, or is it that they don't believe the government's promises of prosperity?

As the law dictates, the 27 must pay into the system because they were born after 1974.

Every month, 5% of their salary must go to one of the pension funds, so that during retirement they have "security in their old age". The National Assembly's public and media relations department informed Hetq that the MPs received their January salary on February 3 and none of the required portion of their salaries was transferred into the pension fund, though the 5% deduction was made. (Armenia’s Constitutional Court has temporarily postponed the transfers until it review several points of the new pension law.)

As Hetq previously reported, 50 National Assembly employees, whose salaries were paid less the 5%, appealed in writing to the Chief of Staff, asking that portion of their salaries not be transferred to the pension fund. 

Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction and member of the parliamentary Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Hovannes Sahakyan, who is one of those to whom the new law applies, informed Hetq that he has yet to choose a pension fund and the fund manager. According to the parliamentary deputy, he didn't make a choice so that the choice would be made for him automatically.

When Hetq reminded him that the Constitutional Court on January 24 suspended the application of that part of the law (Article 86 Section 3 of the RA Law on Funded Pensions), Sahakyan said: "Yeah? I didn't know that."

HHK MP Naira Karapetyan, in conversation with Hetq, said she also has not yet chosen her pension fund or manager.

Below is the list of MPs to whom the new pension law applies:

Republican Party of Armenia:

Eduard Sharmazanov

Hovhannes Sahakyan

Karen Avagyan

Artur Gevorgyan

Hayk Grigoryan

Artak Zakaryan

Naira Karapetyan

Arpine Hovhannisyan

Marine Marabyan

Levon Martirosyan

Arman Sahakyan

Artur Stepanyan

Samvel Farmanyan

Prosperous Armenia Party:

Bazmaser Arakelyan

Vahan Babayan

Martun Grigoryan

Vahe Enfiajyan

Tigran Urikhanyan

Mushegh Petoyan

Elinar Vardanyan

Davit Kocharyan

Armenian National Congress:

Nikol Pashinyan

Rule of Law:

Karen Botoyan

Levon Dokholyan

Independent (not affiliated with any party):

Edmon Marukyan