Expected failure for deposit reimbursements

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 24 2004

The Armenian newspaper Aravot reports on the recent failure the
National Assembly to approve legislation to reimburse depositors who
lost money in the early 1990’s. A member of the party “Orinats Erkir”
considers that the failure is a show of respect to the president of
the country but at the same time, many deputies see the event as a
defeat for the head of the assembly.

The president had criticized the bill for being a distraction. “We
cannot discuss such a significant and confusing issue before the
discussion of the state budget. Moreover, the 2005 budget envisages
an increase of salaries of teachers and soldiers from January 1. I
think that this is purposeful step, the goal of which is to create a
tense situation in the country and to force the coalition as well as
parliament to avoid the decision of the main issues,” stated
Kocharian.

He assured that in his two election campaigns he had never given such
promises.

There was no quorum and as a result the session failed. It is
obvious, the paper writes, “that the recent statement by the
president of the country Robert Kocharian affected on MPs and they
decided not to come to the session.”

According to the secretary of the faction “Justice” Victor Dalakian,
this measure must have been enacted before the elections of 2003. “It
proves that he [the president] deceived the people,” stated the MP.
Kocharian also noted that the MP who initiated the hearing was
pursuing his own goal, particularly, he was acting against the head
of parliament and the ruling party. This statement was directed
toward the chair of the National Assembly Artur Bagdasarian. However,
Bagdasarian expressed satisfaction that a commission had been created
to study the issue.

He also noted that this problem has already been solved in
Nagorno-Karabakh thanks to cooperation of the former president of
Karabakh Robert Kocharian. “I am sure that there is no person in
Armenia who does not realize this problem is a problem of the social
sphere… I also am sure that everybody wants to return the deposits to
the population,” stated Bagdasarian.

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