YEREVAN. – Members of the “Dem Em [I am against]” civic initiative which opposes the new pension law in Armenia, and ordinary citizens who fight against the mandatory component of this law are assembling outside the Constitutional Court (CC) building on Friday.
As reported earlier, the CC commenced, on Friday at 10 am, the hearings on the lawsuit, pursuant to which several provisions in the controversial Law On Funded Pensions—in particular, its mandatory component—are contested.
Several “Dem Em” members, who are attending the CC hearing, will come outside and join the civic movement’s symbolic silent protest in front of the CC building.
Prior to their demonstration, however, the “Dem Em” activists again stressed that their initiative is not political.
A large number of police officers have gathered at the rear of the CC building, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informed. The police do not permit the demonstrators to stand at the CC courtyard, and therefore they are standing on the sidewalk.
Members from the youth wings of the opposition Armenian National Congress, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party, and the non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party likewise are outside the CC building.
Separately, opposition Heritage Party Chairman, ex-presidential candidate, and former FM Raffi Hovannisian will hold a rally on the same day at Liberty Square. “Dem Em,” however, had announced that it will not participate in this public meeting.
The new funded pension plan, which formally came into force in Armenia on January 1, 2014, is mandatory for those born in and after 1974 and voluntary for those born before 1974. In line with this plan, 5 to 10 percent of the monthly salaries in Armenia will be deducted and mandatorily be allocated to cumulative pension funds; the latter will be reimbursed as pensions once a person turns 63 years old.
On January 24, however, the Constitutional Court decided to suspend the execution of some components in the Law on Funded Pensions pending the hearing—on Friday—of the petition submitted by the four non-ruling-coalition parliamentary forces.
Notwithstanding this, some employers already are deducting the mandatory pension payment from the salaries of their employees.
The law caused dissatisfaction among Armenia’s civil society, and therefore paved the way for the establishment of the “Dem Em [I am against]” civic initiative, which opposes the new pension law in Armenia.
The four non-ruling-coalition parliamentary factions—i.e., the Armenian National Congress, Prosperous Armenia, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, and Heritage—likewise are against this new law, and they declare that its mandatory component is unconstitutional.
