Armenian political scientist advises activists to accept president’s proposal

On his Facebook page, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan has commented on the protests against rising electricity prices in Yerevan.

According to him, by accepting Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s proposal, the protesters can raise the role of civil society in the Armenian State’s life.

“It is obvious that the state is offering its citizens involvement that implies a higher level of social responsibility. Instruments are being offer, which, if properly applied, will not only enable electricity price reduction, but also nationalization of the electric networks. This is much more than the protesters’ initially demanded.

“I hope that the activists will accept this proposal for cooperation. I am well aware it implies great responsibility and efforts on the part of the people, but I am sure that it is a task citizens can accomplish,” Mr Melik-Shahnazaryan wrote in his Facebook message.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan chaired a meeting on Saturday.

Among the issues on the meeting agenda was the problem of electricity prices in Armenia.

In the context of public protests against a planned rise in electricity prices, Armenia’s leader proposed selecting a reputable and experienced consulting company, which would provide its expert opinion on the following questions:

How well is a rise in electricity prices grounded?

What threats Armenia’s energy sector will face if the electricity prices remain unchanged?

Armenia’s leader said activists could, if necessary, be involved in selecting a consulting company.