One Wants to Sleep, the Baby is Crying, What Should We Do, Throw the Child Out? Hayk Marutyan on the Protest

Armen Nersisyan, a member of the Yerevan City Council from the Prosperous Armenia faction, asked Mayor Hayk Marutyan today, February 11, about the North-South highway project. "Residents of the B4 neighborhood are horrified to learn that the North-South highway will be built very close to their buildings. I want to ask you, Mr. Mayor, Harachya Sargsyan said that we will see how we deal with this; wouldn’t it have been better to think about this issue and offer alternative options to the residents to avoid stressing them?" Nersisyan asked.

In response, the Mayor said, "I found it strange that people were surprised yesterday since they have known for three years that this will happen. They agreed to the compensations, so it is not new information for them; moreover, they have consented to all of this. However, some new momentum has gathered around the issue. I do not want to blame people, but there have been cases where additional financial dividends have been sought."

Marutyan also assured that this will be one of the best ways to ease the situation in the city. "Even if we did not want to comply with all international standards, there is the ADB bank involved, which ensures that the project meets all international procedures. Everything goes through international expertise. Personally, Mr. Meshchan and I have accepted citizens twice, listened to their problems, and provided the best solutions. The road must go through somewhere; if it doesn’t go through here, it has to go through another location. Now my windows look directly at Mount Ararat, but there is a plot of land in front of me that will inevitably be built on and block my view. But that is my decision to live in the center of Yerevan; it means there will be a building in front of me," he said.

He noted that in this case, we speak of a public interest that must appeal to the majority regarding the decision. "That’s how it is; it’s impossible for everyone to agree. Our duty is to ensure that our actions benefit the majority. A decision affecting at least 10, 20, 300, or 100 people should be disruptive. There is no other alternative. There are rules of coexistence; when you live in a building, if one person yells, the neighbor hears it. One person wants to sleep while a baby is crying; what should we do, throw the baby out?"

Armen Nersisyan stated that it was not necessary to construct a high-speed road near residential buildings and advised Hayk Marutyan to go and see the situation before speaking.