Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The situation is tense in Armenia again. This time the reason for the mass protests of citizens is the decision by Yerevan’s administration to raise prices for public transport by 50% from July 20. Instead of 100 drams for a ticket on buses and minibuses, people will have to pay 150 drams, and 100 drams on trolley buses instead of 50 drams.
Today the transport sphere of Armenia has all the conditions for owners of companies which, first of all, always win tenders, and, secondly, the state, unlike other countries, doesn’t try to make any changes in favor of society, i.e. the policy of providing a group of people connected with power with excess profit is implemented in the sphere.
Protests can be successful. In 2005 the authorities tried to increase ticket prices from 100 to 130 drams, but they failed due to protests of citizens. However, the struggle of Yerevan’s residents for their social rights faces the game rules existing within the current regime; the authorities are not interested in social opinion due to the system of falsification of elections and impossibility of changing power.
At the same time, the protests have a local character, and there are no signs that separate protests could turn into a big rebellion or a powerful movement, like in 2007-2011. Then, political demands were crucial; today numerous expressions of social indignation are aimed at settling this or that social problem. This time the mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan appeared at the center of criticism. However, it is obvious that the mayor couldn’t make the decision without support of President Serge Sargsyan. The President probably didn’t expect such a big wave of dissatisfaction in society.
“When mass demonstrations began in Brazil, their female president Dilma Rousseff postponed her official visit to Japan and called an emergency session of the government. It was decided not to increase ticket prices. What did Serge Sargyan do? He was away on vacation!” the leader of the party of New Times Aram Karapetyan says.
PS: Yesterday at night the press service of the Mayor’s Office in Yerevan announced that Mayor Taron Margaryan had decided to stop implementation of the order on increasing ticket prices.
