Interview with Larisa Alaverdyan, secretary of the “Heritage” parliamentary faction.
- On March 1 the opposition held a demonstration commemorating the tragedy of 2008. How do such demonstrations resemble people’s attitude to the political situation in the country?
- Our elite are corrupt and demoralized. The national wealth is being used inappropriately. The elite are afraid of any social movement. This explains why the mass media repeatedly reports about conspiracies, spy scandals and so on. However, people see this and thus various social movements are beginning.
- Can you comment on the controversial OSAGO law?
- This law is very dangerous. First of all, it encourages corruption. Moreover, it may cause social unrest. In addition to this, the law makes it clear that the Armenian authorities are acting in rich individuals' interests. This very law will allow such individuals to increase their income.
- What do you think about the new individual pension system?
- The same system exists in the USA, Hong Kong and Scandinavian countries. However, the situation there is quite different. Such a system requires people’s trust. Of course, in Armenia people do not trust officials enough. Moreover, the labour market in Armenia is unstable. That means that there is no base for the new pension system.
- What can you say about the changes in the language law?
- One of the members of the Republican Party said recently that Armenia should have a well-educated elite abroad. This means that young Armenians, who know foreign languages, should go abroad without any restrictions. This idea is based on the belief that the country is overcrowded and mass migration from it is desirable. So our authorities encourage mass migration from the country. This policy is disastrous. I have been saying that since 1996.
Interview by David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK
