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YEREVAN. – The “Stand up, Armenia” citizens’ movement, which is staging a sit-in for the sixth day at Republic Square in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan and against the electricity price hike in the country, on Saturday will demand the resignations of several officials,

Member of the movement’s initiative group, Vahagn Levonyan, told about the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Since the PSRC [i.e. the Public Services Regulatory Commission] decision [on increasing the electricity tariff in the country] comes into force from today [i.e. Saturday], demanding cancelation [of this decision] from the PSRC loses its urgency, and [therefore] in its stead, we will demand resignations,” said Levonyan. “The decision comes into force from today, but they have not yet announced from where they will subsidize the extra 6.93drams; this is a disregard to the people, and it is unacceptable for us.”

The activist added that the movement will issue a statement clearly noting whose resignations they demand.

Vahagn Levonyan also informed that they will continue their sit-in.

The abovementioned citizens’ movement had announced Monday that it was starting a 72-hour sit-in at Republic Square. The police, however, do not permit them to approach the middle of the square.

The “Stand up, Armenia” initiative had stated that if the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia does not revoke the decision to raise the electricity tariff in the country, they will start protests, conduct awareness visits to the provinces, and close off streets, as of Monday, July 27. Even though these 72 hours have passed, the activists are still at the square until they reach their objective and stage a sit-in in the middle of Republic Square.

Despite numerous protests, the PSRC of Armenia recently increased the price of electricity in the country by 6.93 drams—instead of 17 drams, proposed by the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) CJSC—, per cubic meter, and this decision will take effect on Saturday, August 1. But the decision is expected to be followed by an increase in the prices of numerous products and services in the country.

President Serzh Sargsyan, however, stated that the government will subsidize this price hike until an audit is conducted at the ENA, which supplies electricity to the country’s residents and whose proprietor is the Russian state-owned Inter RAO UES Company. Sargsyan also said should the audit show that the aforesaid increase in electricity tariff is unjustified, he does not rule out returning the ENA to the Armenian government and transferring it to competitive management.

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