Bagratian: Premier and several ministers should resign

‘Following the Constitutional Court’s decision about the Law on the Compulsory Accumulative Pension System, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Ministers Artyom Asatrian, Vatche Gabrielian, David Sargsyan, Hrayr Tovmasian, Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Arthur Javadian and his deputy Nerses Yeritsian should resign,” the deputy of Armenian National Congress (HAK) parliamentary faction Hrant Bagratian wrote on his Facebook page.

“I express my thanks to the four factions – HAK, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), ARFD, and Heritage factions, also to ‘I am against’ movement, Artsvik Minasian, Artak Zeynalian, Mary Khachatrian, and the Constitutional Court for this decision,” Bagratian said.

According to him, USAID and the World Bank should draw serious conclusions as “they supported unconstitutional reforms in Armenia”.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia today recognized as unconstitutional a number of provisions of the Law on the Compulsory Accumulative Pension System.

The CC Chairman Gagik Harutyunian read the court decision saying that the use of the compulsory component restricts the application of a number of articles of the Armenian Constitution, in particular, the protection of the right of property. Besides, the law does not take into account the requirements to ensure the minimum consumer basket.

The decision takes effect upon its publication.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia ruled that the parliament and the government shall bring the law into line with the decision’s requirements by September 30, 2014.

We would remiond you that the law took effect on January 1, 2014. It applies to Armenian citizens born after January 1, 1974. Under the law, employees have to pay 5% of their monthly salaries to a pension fund, and the state shall pay another 5%, but no more than 25,000 drams ($61).