Tuesday, September 27 2016 15:11

ArmInfo. The Law "On financial equalization" is one more lever of pressure on the heads of rural communities in the run-up to elections in Armenia, Head of the Orinats Yerkir Faction Heghine Bisharyan said in Parliament on September 27.   

She thinks the authorities are trying to control all processes at the local self-government bodies, including the electoral processes through financial flows. "If the authorities had no such intentions, they would at least wait for the formation of the new government, which would introduce its own amendments in the bill," she stressed. Bisharyan added that during the pre-electoral campaign in Vanadzor and Gyumri she noticed that the members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia are trying to get the electorate's votes in every possible and impossible manner.

Bisharyan also suggested postponing the debates on the bill so that the new government could thoroughly study it and introduce the necessary amendments. 

For his part, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament considers Bisharyan's accusations to be senseless.  He said that the ruling Republican Party of Armenia has started a process of new reforms rather than a September revolution. "We are responsible for the activities of both the former and the new government," he said, noting that this is the continuation of the reforms that started with constitutional amendments and the speech of President Serzh Sargsyan on Feb 12.

To note, the Armenian Parliament is considering the bill "On financial equalization". First Deputy Minister of Territorial Management and Development Vache Terteryan said that the bill implies a new scheme of distribution of subsidies to the local administrations. The total amount of subsidies for 2017 will be lower than in 2016. Moreover, the growth will make up 1 bln AMD (about 2.1 mln USD). More attention will be paid to the high-mountain, near-border and remote communities with a bigger number of settlements.