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Any sector is facing a problem in Armenia today, leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), lawmaker Gagik Tsarukyan told a meeting with members of his party in Gegharkunik Province on Monday.

“People are in the abyss. Today, any official, leader or person in charge of the sphere must take an interest in people’s concerns, walk around, listen to them, raise the pressing issues and offer solutions to them,” he said, addressing the socioeconomic fallout from coronavirus the pandemic.

Protests against the authorities are being held every day, the PAP leader stressed, adding, however, the government fails to handle the concerns voiced by those people.

Tsarukyan called for broader policies to deal with the impact of the pandemic before the end of the state of emergency.

Speaking about the problems in the healthcare sector, the lawmaker stated that the government should provide all coronavirus patients with the necessary medicine free of charge. He also called for the establishment of free hospitals across the country to treat people who are in need of urgent medical care but cannot pay for it.

Also, the PAP leader stressed the need to revise agricultural loans, adding the government should forgive the loans of all the farmers who have suffered losses due to bad weather or poor quality seeds.

"When Tsarukyan speaks out and expresses his point of view, old cases are opened not only against Tsarukyan, but also against his teammates. If the people's salaries increase, new jobs open, the Karabakh conflict is resolved and pensions rise by arresting Tsarukyan, let them go ahead and arrest me. But no problem will be resolved by arresting Tsarukyan,” he said, reiterating that only highly experienced people should hold leadership positions.

The MP also spoke against the ratification of the Istanbul Convention undermining Armenian traditional values without taking into account the people’s opinion.

“It is a shame for us," Tsarukyan said.