Monday, January 15 2018 18:45

ArmInfo. "Vigen Sargsyan's appeal to help wounded servicemen is an example of Christian compassion, I do not want to say anything about comments in social networks, but I want to note that in this matter one should not pick on the Minister of Defense." Edward Sharmazanov, vice-speaker of Armenia, stated this in a conversation with journalists, commenting on the fact that Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan was convicted and accused of hypocrisy and ostentatious mercy for his call in social networks to help a wounded soldier.

The Vice-Speaker also noted that Vigen Sargsyan not only urged the  public to donate money, but also made a donation. As for the special  fund for the needs of the Ministry of Defense, where every working  Armenian contributes 1,000 drams every month, Sharmazanov noted that  they are used for the purpose and reach families of dead and wounded  military personnel.

The leader of the Elk faction Nikol Pashinyan said that the  initiative of the Minister of Defense to raise funds through the  social network is very strange. "Imagine that tomorrow, Serzh  Sargsyan in Facebook will offer to start collecting money so that  instead of weapons of the 80's to buy weapons of the 90's," the  deputy quipped.

Pashinyan also noted that the government has its own legislative  levers for replenishment of the budget.  "To solve the health  problems of servicemen or the needs of the Army, a special fund has  been set up, where our citizens transfer funds, individual cases may  be financed from the reserve fund of the government. If such an  initiative were made by activists or a public organization, it would  be clear that this is their prerogative, but when this is done by a  high-ranking state official, who was appointed to the office just to  solve similar problems in the framework of his official powers, this  is at least strange," Pashinyan said, jokingly, oh, maybe one day the  Minister of Defense will also start raising funds in order to buy  boots for soldiers.

Concerning Vigen Sargsyan's aggressive and insulting attacks on the  social users who criticized him, Pashinyan considered this  unacceptable. "In the past, Vigen Sargsyan was mostly silent, and  against this background he created himself the image of a modest,  balanced, intelligent person. I do not know if Sargsyan himself  created such an image or was invented by others, but he made such an  impression. He turns out to be not like that. He sits at home and  writes something, someone answers him, writes again, answers again  ... Strange behavior for the defense minister," the deputy concluded.

Representatives of the "Tsarukyan" faction refused to give comments  on this topic.

Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, on his Facebook page, called on the  public to help wounded soldier Albert Dalakyan to organize his  treatment abroad. This statement caused a negative response in the  society.  Many users of social networks accused the Minister of  Defense of begging, and ostentatious mercy, to which the Minister  responded with similar charges. Also, many users of social networks  were interested in where the money goes from the special fund  created, where they transfer funds from salaries. Other members of  the public were interested in where the defense minister, who lives  on salary, had a house in the Northern Avenue (the most expensive  district in Yerevan). Some suggested that the minister, instead of  turning to the already impoverished people, to fork out himself and  turn to the generals, who also have luxury houses and cars.