Armenian authorities prolong national emergency 'for political reasons' - opinion

The authorities' repeated move to extend the national emergency is a politically motivated action unrelated to a serious fight against the coronavirus disease, according to Artur Khachatryan, a member of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) Bureau.

In an interview with Tert.am, the politician condemned the government for inaction to reduce the infection rate, noting that the requirement for wearing masks "has very little to do" with combating the disease across the country. Khachatryan stressed the urgent importance of adjusting the norms of life to the new conditions to organize manufacturing processes, public services, cultural life and education.

"There is apparently a political motivation to prevent people from expressing their will given that the state of emergency implies certain restrictions," he said, highlighting the impossibility of public assemblies under conditions of lockdown rules.

Khachatryan noted that the authorities used the period to embark on vital reforms, pushing ahead with major legislative proposals without public debates. He cited particularly the controversial passage of the constitutional reforms and the Lanzarote Convention (on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse) by the National Assembly, as well as the amendments to the law "On Property Tax". "It was important to conduct broad public debates before making a decision. The increased property tax will lead to a social polarization yet another time, whereas our economy's vulnerability consists in polarization rather than inclusiveness," he added.  

Khachatryan said he thinks that the authorities should have imposed strict quarantine rules in early March to contain the spread of the virus. "Numerous experts. economists, healthcare sector specialists and political forces made calls for establishing a strict quarantine regime, which they [the authorities] failed to do. We can no longer correct the mistake. What we must be able to do now is to establish conditions adjusted to the new norms and to ensure their implementation. They caused damage to our economy while being unable to prevent the infection spread," the politician added.

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