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 Mass protests such as the ongoing rallies in downtown Yerevan are not something new in Armenia and a further escalation of the situation is ruled out, ex-Defense Minister of Armenia, ex-Deputy Interior Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan told RIA Novosti.
“Movements aiming to prevent a price hike regularly emerge in Armenia – the same happened over a rise in gas and power tariffs, as well as transport fares,” he said.

In addition to the tariff increase, the low purchasing power of the population is an objective reason for the current events in Yerevan, he noted. “The prices are very high, but wages are low. Everybody realizes that prices of other goods and services will also go up in the future. Most of the people who took to the streets did so for that reason,” the ex-minister said.

When asked to comment on the Armenian president’s proposal to conduct an audit, V. Harutyunyan called it “the only right path”, as a result of which “the problem will be solved and the people will get answers to their questions”. He ruled out that protests may turn violent.

“I rule out a large-scale escalation and I am confident that a correct decision was made. An audit is the only way to resolve the existing situation. Demonstrators will also participate in it,” Harurtyunyan said.

As was reported, President Serzh Sargsyan said at the June 27 consultation with officials responsible for the economic policy in Armenia that cancelling the decision on power tariff rise is “very dangerous”. For this reason the government will cover the tariff rise until the conclusion (of an audit of Electric Networks – editor), he said. “Of course, we will not pull out the ongoing programs or social expenditures, but will identify other resources among the means allotted for the further strengthening of (energy) security.

Certainly, our security issues are far from being solved, to say the least, and yet that environment of suspicion and distrust that we have now, I think is another security issue and a very important one. And that must be solved. And if that conclusion [of the audit] confirms the price increase is well-based, from that moment on the consumers will begin paying the new tariff without having any suspicions. Should the conclusion confirm the increase had been groundless, the government would take measures to get refunds from the ENA on the amount surcharged, as well as bring to account those officials that failed on their duties»,” the president said noting that under such conditions the work that the government started a few months ago to change the owner of ENA will become a certainty, and the option of returning the company to the state and transferring it for competitive management is not ruled out.