The Button-Pressing MP Earns 4.5 Times More Than the Border-Guarding Soldier, Says Voskanyan Sargsyan

Journalist Voskanyan Sargsyan writes on his Facebook page: “The button-pressing MP in Parliament earns 4.5 times more than the soldier guarding the borders. According to surveys, the Parliament has the lowest level of trust among the public, where verbal squabbles, brawls, and various displays have nothing to do with Armenia's problems and their solutions.

Given that Armenia has an official population of 2.9 million, although the real number might be closer to 2.5 million, why should the National Assembly have so many representatives—107 MPs—some of whom are flying around in Luxembourg, funded by the state budget, receiving a salary of 600,000 AMD, plus an additional 250,000 AMD for personal expenses? In contrast, contract soldiers who guard the borders, risking their lives through cold and heat, receive a meager 190,000 AMD a month, which is 4.5 times less than what the MPs earn. Is this how a professional army is built? States collapse due to the absence of justice.”