The 'Armenia' Faction to Direct '13th Salary' to Charity: MP

The opposition 'Armenia' faction will utilize the bonuses distributed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, for charitable purposes. This was stated by faction member Agnesa Khachikyan in an interview with NEWS.am.

“Our faction members have also received what is referred to as the '13th salaries,' which is a bonus. As was the case previously, this time, the 'Armenia' faction will not use the bonuses for personal purposes, but rather will direct them towards charity. Last time, the faction decided to allocate the bonuses to the Caroline Cox Rehabilitation Center operating for soldiers in Artsakh, and this time a decision has been made for each deputy to spend that money at their discretion for any charitable cause,” said Agnesa Khachikyan.

It is noteworthy that the MPs of the 8th convocation were also awarded bonuses months ago, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of independence. In addition to their salary, MPs receive 250,000 drams for parliamentary expenses, which previously amounted to 50,000 drams. Back in October, the 'Armenia' faction appealed to the Constitutional Court regarding the monthly 250,000 drams given to deputies. The faction contested the reward system for state political officials, including the President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and MPs.

“Although the Constitutional Court rejected our faction's appeal, arguing that the matter falls within the realm of state policy and does not raise constitutional issues, we will continue to be persistent regarding bonuses and rewards, and we will inform you of how we proceed,” added 'Armenia' faction MP Agnesa Khachikyan.