07:59, 21 January 2014

Armenia: party factions urge to suspend the law on new pension system

Representative of oppositional party factions of Armenia at the Constitutional Court, lawyer Mary Khachatryan at the rally against the pension reform. Armenia, Yerevan, January 18, 2014. Photo by Armine Martirosyan for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Four oppositional parties of Armenia have addressed the Constitutional court for recognition of the new Law "On Mandatory Accumulative Pension System" as unconstitutional and for suspension of the law until the final decision, the lawyer Mary Khachatryan, who is representing the above factions at the Constitutional Court, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The accumulative pension system is in force in the country since January 1. The authorities motivated the innovation by the fact that the new system would help to solve social problems and ensure the growth of pensions; while the opponents assert that the requirement to make five-percent contributions from each salary will worsen the position of disadvantaged population groups.

The Constitutional Court will consider the appeal on March 28; and before January 25, the Court will hear the petition asking to suspend the mandatory component of the pension system, Mary Khachatryan told to the recent rally in Yerevan.

Let us remind you that the rally against the pension reform took place on January 18. The participants declared their readiness to strike, should the government fail to cancel the introduction of the accumulative pension system in Armenia.

Author: Armine Martirosyan

Source: CK correspondent