Members of the Armenian Association of Blind are demanding to investigate the facts of corruption and thefts committed in the organization for many years. Today they are holding a protest near the monument to A. Isahakyan in the center of Yerevan. Its goal is to bring these problems to the new authorities of Armenia.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of the Armenian Association of Blind's leadership, from which they have not received any support for a long time.
"We are convinced that they (the leaders of the organization) had dealings with the former authorities and demand an independent investigation," Sputnik-Armenia cited the union's member Sipan Asatryan as saying. He noted that every blind person should receive 1000 drams from the association every month, but they received nothing for many years. "It was despite the fact that in 2017 the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs allocated 51.7 million drams to the associations," Asatryan said.
Another member of the association, Aristakes Margaryan, drew attention to the fact that the work centers under the Armenian Association of Blind were idle for a long time: the association's management sold the property of the enterprises, the premises were leased, but this money was not received by the association.
The people with visual disabilities, who participated in the action, noted that the leadership does not conduct meetings of the organization, although they should be convened once a year. Elections of the association's chairman are also not organized, despite the fact that the former leader, who is already about 90 years old, resigned in January.
"Now the society is run by the deputy chairmen," the protesters said. They require holding elections for a new governing body.
The protesters marched along the central Yerevan. The demonstrators also want to show that they are able to function and ready to work in order to make a living.
