In a verbal dig directed at Republican Party of Armenia MP Hakob Hakobyan, who had recently argued that poor people in Armenia wouldn’t be impacted by inflation because they eat potatoes, not luxury items, Yelk Alliance MP Nikol Pashinyan said that potato prices had soared.

“The question is as follows,” said Pashinyan in today's parliament session focusing on domestic inflation. “What should the poor eat? I have four alternatives.”

Pashinyan continued that the poor could eat mixed greens, which have become cheaper by half, garlic, which has gone down 22%, scallions, down 18.2%, or peppers, down 12.1%.

In response, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielyan said that he believed people would select foods with high calories content within their budget.

“I believe you posed a rhetorical question, and I answered in the same vein,” said Gabrielyan.

Pashinyan concluded by saying that Armenia’s National Statistical Service data shows that butter has risen 41% in price, pork by 38% and potatoes by 28%.