YEREVAN (A.W.)—A wave of protests has hit the streets of Yerevan after an announcement of a possible upcoming hike in electricity prices for a third time in the past two years.
In early May, the Russian-owned Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA) asked the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) to consider a 40 percent increase in energy tariffs, which would raise current rates to almost 59 drams ($.12) per kilowatt hour. The request, the ENA explained, was due to ongoing financial losses and increasing debts to power plants and banks.
ARF Nigol Aghpalian Student Union Stages Demonstration
The first protest took place on May 22, when about 30 members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Nigol Aghpalian Student Union staged a demonstration near the Government House on republic Square, demanding that the authorities establish control over the expenses incurred by Yerevan’s nuclear power plant.
Mesrop Yesayan read a statement issued by the ARF Student Union regarding the possible hikes. “We have no intention to pay for the luxury expenses of the power plant’s leadership. They have no idea that 35 percent of Armenian residents live in poverty, and a rise in the electricity rates will lead to a new wave of migration.”
The demonstrators handed a copy of the statement to a representative of the Cabinet, who promised to deliver it to the government.
‘Dark Hours Action’ and Public Rally in Yerevan
On May 25, activists called for a two-hour “blackout” on Facebook and other social media platforms to send a message to the ENA. Between 9 and 11 p.m., the people of Yerevan were urged to shut off all of their electrical appliances and lights in what became known as the “dark hours action.”
Thousands of protestors, including leading opposition figures, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and ordinary citizens, took to the streets on May 27 for a public rally at Yerevan’s Freedom Square. The protest was organized by a Yerevan-based non-partisan group called “No to Plunder.”
The demonstrators marched through Yerevan chanting, “We are not going to pay off your debts,” “You owe us,” and “No to robbery in our own homes.” They then held a sit-in in the center of Republic Square. According to the organizers, nearly 15,000 people joined the protest.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Responds
Speaking to reporters on May 28, Armenia’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yervand Zakharian said that the upcoming increase in energy prices would not be as high as the rate requested by the Electricity Networks of Armenia.
“I don’t think that [the rate] will go up by 17 drams [per kilowatt hour],” Zakharian told reporters, implying that the PSRC would sanction a more modest price rise. He also said that a decision about the hikes would be announced sometime in the coming week.
Protests to Continue
The group “No to Plunder” announced on May 29 that it will stage another, larger demonstration in June to protest plans to raise the electricity prices.
Group member Vaghinak Shushanian said “No to Plunder” will conduct a publicity campaign over the next three weeks to ensure that the rally attracts “three or four times as many people” than the first public rally.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service, Shushanian announced that the next demonstration has been planned for June 19. “Right from the beginning, we opted for a tactic of street struggle,” he said. “That means we see no need to embark on a dialogue with any political force or the authorities on this issue.”
Rupen Janbazian
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