Karapetyan urges public employees not to fear

PanARMENIAN.Net - Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party, has addressed state employees, urging them not to be afraid ahead of the parliamentary elections.

He promised that, if his political force wins, public sector salaries would be increased significantly.

“Honorable employees of the state system, I am addressing you, the people who form the backbone of our country. You are the people whose daily work sustains our statehood. I know your dedication and how much effort and energy you put into your work, often without receiving the appreciation and compensation you truly deserve.

On June 7, elections will take place in our country that will determine Armenia’s future. I assure all of you that Armenia has only one choice. The Armenian people must choose our proposal for a strong and prosperous country. They must reject instability, the mental imbalance of the country’s leader, poverty, wars and the entry of 300,000 Azerbaijanis into our country,” Karapetyan said in his message.

He stated that many public employees are currently under pressure and alleged that superiors and representatives of the authorities are attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and compel support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“I know that many of you are being pressured today. I know that various superiors and government structures are trying to create a climate of fear and force you to vote for Nikol Pashinyan. They threaten you with dismissal or other problems.

Today I want to tell you with full responsibility: do not be afraid. In the voting booth, you are alone with your conscience, your children’s future and your God. No superior will be able to see how you voted, and no superior has the right to control your free will,” he said.

Karapetyan argued that citizens should not fear change and pledged a fundamental shift in the treatment of state employees if Strong Armenia comes to power.

“I guarantee that your salaries will increase substantially. You will no longer have to worry about daily family hardships or burdensome loans,” he said.

He added that there would be no ministers receiving multimillion bonuses, while ordinary public servants would receive high salaries and performance bonuses.

According to Karapetyan, families of state employees would be better protected, their quality of life would improve, and their children would have access to quality and competitive education without placing a heavy financial burden on parents.

He also promised special state programs that would allow public employees to purchase housing under simplified conditions and pledged to eliminate favoritism in career advancement.

“Promotion will depend only on professionalism, not on pleasing those in power,” the message states.

The election campaign, which began on May 8, continued until June 5. June 6 is a day of silence, and parliamentary elections will be held on June 7. On May 25, the Alliance Progressive Centrist Party submitted a withdrawal request, after which the Central Electoral Commission invalidated the registration of the party’s electoral list. As a result, there will be no ballot paper numbered 13 in the upcoming elections.