YEREVAN. – People who criticize community-based reform to be carried out and raise concerns are either uninformed, or simply distorting the situation. The Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, said this in a conversation with journalists today in the National Assembly.

"If they are attentive and have seen the draft in the E-draft, they should be aware that at the same time another draft law was also put into circulation by the National Assembly, on making amendments to the law on local referendums, and  with the enlargement in those communities, as well as enlargement in those communities to make a decision.

“If there is an initiative group in these communities who thinks the enlargement is ineffective, then they get a chance through a signature campaign to hold a local referendum. And in the referendum it will be decided whether their initiative was right or wrong," the minister said, adding that everything is done to ensure that the public's voice is heard and that no enlargement process takes place due to political expediency.

"This is done to secure the economic potential of our communities," Papikyan said.