Rise, Armenia: civil initiative starts three-day sit-in in Yerevan

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Starting today the “Rise Armenia” civil initiative starts a three-day sit-in at Liberty Square as part of their planned actions aimed at forcing the country’s authorities to cancel the decision of the Public Services Regulatory Commission to raise electricity tariffs by 6.93 drams from August 1. The sit-in starts at 6.00pm, Andreas Ghukayan, a member of the civil initiative, told A1+. He reiterated their demands;

1. to review the decision of the state regulator to raise electricity tariffs by more than 16 percent beginning August 1.
2. to review the current electricity tariffs and lower them
3. to punish the police officers who used force against peaceful demonstrators during a June 23 crackdown on Baghramyan Avenue.
4. to start criminal proceedings against the management of the "Electric Networks of Armenia" (ENA), Russian-owned company that runs Armenia’s power grid, and dissolve the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC)

Mr Ghukasyan says after rejecting the initiative’s proposal to start public discussions the police tried to contact them and ‘solve certain issues.’ “But we are in favor of public debates with the participation of citizens and journalists and we rejected them,’ said the political analyst. Davit Sanasaryan, another member of the initiative, added that a series of actions will be held today in other cities of Armenia. “Members of the “Rise Armenia” civil initiative together with our supporters will hold protest actions in Gyumri, Vanadzor, Spitak and other cities and towns. Also, we expect that residents of many communities will join us here in Yerevan by organizing an automobile rally,” he said. “The police will probably try to prevent us from holding a sit-in. but we are determined to continue the sit-in unless all our demands are met by the authorities,” Mr Ghukasyan added.