YEREVAN, Armenia (A.W.)—The government’s decision to increase prices for public transport entered into force on July 20. Commuters using mini-buses (marshootkas) and buses saw fares increase by over 30 percent, from 100 to 150 drams (25 to 40 cents). Meanwhile, the fare for trollies doubled in price, from 50 to 100 drams. The decision was met with outrage from the public, and the reasons were manifold.
The protests against bus
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The increase is %50 which is too high and unnecessary. These oligarchs are treating our people like their slaves. They can not do whatever they want.We need to support the people who are fighting for their rights. I think diaspora is so indifferent about these matters. We need to find a way to help them.
As I member of the diaspora who is in Armenia and is active in the movement against price hikes, the diaspora is not totally indifferent. That said, I encourage the participants of the games to join this movement and unite with their brethren
Excellent analysis! Thank you Samson. It will be interesting to see how indifferent the authorities remain if MOST passengers simply continue paying 100…
Some citizens even transport commuters for free. It looks like we are going to have another grassroots movement, which hopefully can achieve something this time around.
http://arka.am/en/news/society/armenia_s_ombudsman_asks_yerevan_mayor_s_office_to_provide_justification_for_public_transport_fare_r/
85.00 per MONTH??? How much is Sarkissian net worh grown AS A DIRECT RESULT OF HIS POSITION?
Since when has Yerevan a blind Mayor ? He mentioned the maintenance of maashrootkas. Maybe these cars where the last time maintained
years ago,
while still driving in Russia. Second an overcrowded car like this is
animal transportation. In ALL European countries vehicles like this would be taken out of service immediately. Three quarter of them are
totally unsafe. A person risking to use such a car should GET money instead of paying for risking his life!!
The fact that authorities are responding to people’s demands indicates they are open to people’s demands, and dare I say, the system is open and democratic.
Both the state and the protestors (the citizens) have to learn how to work together. The state has to remain open to reasonable demands of its citizens and modify its ways. And the citizens have to make reasonable, rational demands based on objective reality of economics of running a big city.
Dictators make small concessions to the subject people in order to pacify them and keep their power. Responding to people’s demands is not a sign of democracy, people’s ability to change the government is. The fact that the same Serzh-Robert clan and the same party has been ruling Armenia for 15 years is a good sign that there is no democracy. And people know this, as as long as they feel left out, they will not be satisfied with small concessions.
The fact that the same Republicrat/Demopublican clan has been ruling United States for decades is a good sign there is no democracy.
.
Democracy is 7 candidates running for the office of President in RoA Presidential elections in 2013.
The same two Republicrat/Demopublican candidates perennially running for the office of POTUS is a good sign there is no democracy.
Armenians of Armenia would dream about having a choice between two parties, such as the Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Instead, for the past 15 years, they have had two presidents, the first choosing the second as his successor, both supported by the same Republican party. Obama was not chosen as Bush’s successor, nor did the same party support both. You may find flaws with the two-party system, but Armenians would much rather have that instead.
In the U.S., one party does not control all branches of government. Democrats control the presidency, Republicans control the House, and Democrats control the Senate. During Bush’s last years, Democrats controlled the Congress, and the Republicans the executive. Armenians would dream to have that kind of separation of powers. Instead, they have had the same party and its supported officials heading the legislature, the government, and the presidency for 13-15 years, with the National Assembly being a toy at the hands of the President. That’s a sign of a semi-authoritarian state, as Armenia is rightfully known. And people feel this, which is why they leave the country.