Do they really need the extra 45,000 AMD to rent? It turns out that out of the 131 deputies in Armenia’s National Assembly just five own no apartment in Yerevan. In addition to their average monthly salary of 330,000 AMD per month, the following five MP’s also receive a monthly housing allowance of 45,000: HHK (Republican Party) – Rafik Grigoryan, Lernik Aleksanyan; OYK (Rule of Law) – Hovhannes Margaryan, Artsruni Aghajanyan and Ishkhan Khachatryan. According to the parliament’s by-laws, MP’s not possessing an apartment in Yerevan are allocated a rental stipend set by the parliament’s president. The amount of the stipend hasn’t changed in eight years. At first, when we talked to the five MP’s, none of them confessed to renting an apartment in Yerevan, saying that travelled to and from parliament sessions every day from their various districts. However, when we reminded them about the 45,000 stipend, they immediately changed their tune and said that they rented apartments in the capital. Anyone with any knowledge of the Yerevan real estate market knows it’s next to impossible to find any apartment at that price. MP Grigoryan – “Today, we all need the money” “I attend all the sessions. Travelling doesn’t bother me at all,” said MP Rafik Grigoryan. When I asked what he does with the 45,000 AMD stipend, he quickly changed the subject. “When the parliament’s in session, I usually stay in Yerevan. I can’t travel 120 kilometers back and forth every day. I rent a place in town.” He lives in Dzoragyugh, a small community in Geghargunik Marz. MP Grigoryan complains that the 45,000 just isn’t enough to rent an apartment in Yerevan. “But who’s going to complain. Yeah, a few years ago you could rent a place for that much; not now.” He’s been collecting 45,000 per month for the past six years. But the MP surprisingly has never mustered the courage to ask for more. I asked him if he really needed that money. “Today, we all need the cash. Not only me,” he answered. Rafik Grigoryan has held some pretty important posts in the past.From 1982-1985 and then again from 1989-1992 he worked as a deputy director of Cherkasi Seed Research Farm in Ukraine. He served as the Dzoragyugh community head from 1996-1999 and he served as the Deputy Regional Governor of Geghargunik for the next four years. He’s been an MP since 2003. It’s hard to believe that someone with his background is in dire financial straits. MP Aleksanyan –“Certainly, it comes in handy” MP Lernik Aleksanyan resides in the village of Ararat, about an hour outside Yerevan. He also says that he travels to Yerevan when the parliament is in session but sometimes stays in town in an apartment he rents. The 45,000 is enough, however, so he’s forced to pay the extra out of pocket. MP Aleksanyan claims he really needs the stipend. Lernik Aleksanyan also has a respectable resume to his credit. From1990-1993 he headed the Communications Infrastructure Center in   Ararat Marz. 1993-1996 he served as the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Ararat Regional Council from 1993-1996 and headed theTransport and Civil Engineering Division of the RA Ararat Regional Administration for the next two years. He was Ararat Regional Deputy Governor from 1998-1999. Aleksanyan was first elected to parliament in 1998 and has been a deputy ever since. “Before asking about my finances, you should do your homework about me. If I take the stipend, it means that I need the money. Certainly, it comes in handy,” Aleksanyan retorted when asked if the 45,000 was such a big deal. He believes that it is not obligatory that a ruling party MP be financially well off. When I asked why the Republican Party doesn’t do more to ease the financial burden of those party members facing a cash crunch, Aleksanyan said, “Oh, I get your drift. So you’re saying that all Republican Party members must have a business and lots of money? How can the party help when we are the ones paying party dues? Why should the party chip in and help us?” Lernik Aleksanyan has been getting the 45,000 stipend for the past eight years and says he puts it towards rent and utilities. “You don’t even have to use it for rent money, but for paying utilities. But it’s not enough even for that. You can use it for travel expenses. Those MP’s who don’t reside in Yerevan aren’t big businessmen with loads of money. Sure, we welcome the assistance given by the parliament,” he said, forgetting that by law MP’s aren’t supposed to be running businesses on the side. Despite the fact that MP Aleksanyan claimed to be financially strapped for cash, we should remind readers that he owns 5-6 hectares of apricot groves in Ararat from which he derives an income except for this year owing to the poor weather conditions. MP Aghajanyan – “I support a family of seven on just 240,000” Artsruni Aghajanyan, Secretary of the Rule of Law faction in the parliament, resides in Artik, a small town south of Gyumri in the Shirak Marz. When I asked how he travels to parliament, Aghajanyan said he’s ferried back and forth in a car allocated by the government. The MP added that he’s in Yerevan half the week and in Artik the other half. “Since I’m in Yerevan for half the month, I have to rent a place, right?” When he understood what the article was about, Aghajanyan got irritated and pushed any pleasantries aside. “I know you’ve been paid to find some dirt. What do you want to write? Out of all the MP’s who don’t know what they are doing, you went and picked Artsruni Aghajanyan and want to state that he’s costing the government money?” He soon calmed down and answered my questions. I asked what he used the 45,000 AMD for. “Let me ask you. Have you come across any evidence that I run a business on the side, that I have supplemental income? I have a big family to take care of. Seven people rely solely on me. I have no other business. How can I get by on just my MP’s salary of 240,000 per month?” Aghajanyan served as an MP from 1993-2003 and then was appointed Deputy Regional Governor of Shirak till 2005. He then served as Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs for one year. An MP needs more than one suit and a tie Still, after such a lucrative professional career, he still complained about his financial situation. The way he sees things, MP’s have much more expenses to take care of than the average citizen and that their salaries just don’t cut it. “The average guy can get away with one or two suits and a tie. Some don’t even need to wear a tie. But we MP’s can’t be seen like that,” Aghajanyan exclaimed. The MP told me he spends at least 50,000 – 60,000 AMD from his salary just on gas because he’s always on the go, an active official. He says it takes about 40 liters of gasoline for his monthly jaunts to and from Artik. The parliament’s gasoline ration, he says, is just enough for four round trips and that he makes the trip at least ten times. “The parliament never really planned for car travel expenses. This year alone I’ve spent 250,000 AMD on car repairs.” I wasn’t able to get any answers from Rule of Law MP Hovhannes Margaryan or Ishkhan Khachatryan. MP Margaryan said one of his relatives had met with an unfortunate accident and that he couldn’t get away for an interview. MP Khachatryan never answered any of my calls. I either spoke with his assistant or his driver.