Urikhanyan Proposes Transferring 50,000 Drams from MPs' Expenses to the '1000 Drams' Fund

Independent MP Tigran Urikhanyan has introduced a draft law today proposing that MPs allocate 80 million drams annually from their provided funds to support individuals who have acquired first-degree disabilities during wartime.

In his statement, he noted: “Dear friends, I have put into circulation a draft law according to which the National Assembly deputies of the Republic of Armenia will allocate about 80 million drams from their provided funds annually to individuals who have acquired first-degree disabilities during the war. Details are in the justification.

Since September 27, 2020, a significant number of servicemen, reservists, and volunteers have participated in the military operations initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh. Many of these participants have suffered severe injuries resulting in first-degree disabilities.

It is known that the already insufficient socioeconomic situation in Armenia has become extremely difficult due to both the pandemic and the war. Therefore, it is understandable that regardless of everything, individuals with first-degree disabilities face extraordinary challenges in their lives, which, in socially dire circumstances, become insurmountable, and in some cases, incompatible with life itself.

Considering this, I find it necessary to seek and find all possible means available in the country to provide material support to these individuals.

This addition is also significant from a moral perspective, and I view it as an opportunity for the country’s primary governing body—the parliament—to demonstrate a pronounced attitude towards individuals with first-degree disabilities acquired in the last war and to further emphasize the heroism of sacrificing a fully-fledged lifestyle for the defense of the country.

Withdrawing the funds allocated for the reimbursement of expenditures related to the parliamentary activities of National Assembly deputies, which amount to 50,000 drams each month, cannot create significant difficulties for the execution of the deputies’ activities, considering that it constitutes about 11% of a deputy's actual salary.

Given the number of deputies, this will amount to 79,200,000 drams annually, which would be a significant support for our modern-day heroes in tackling social issues.

I take into account that the law on the Insurance Fund for Servicemen already provides compensations for the families of servicemen killed and injured during military operations; however, I am confident that this should not be viewed as a limitation, especially in cases where there are additional and necessary supports available from MPs.