Armenian church clerics try to prevent clashes between riot police and protesters in Yerevan
22.06.2015,
22:24
Two clerics of the Armenian Apostolic Church have arrived at a downtown Yerevan street to try as they say 'to stop clashes between police and demonstrators' protesting against the rise in the price of electricity.
YEREVAN, June 22. / ARKA /. Two clerics of the Armenian Apostolic Church have arrived at a downtown Yerevan street to try as they say 'to stop clashes between police and demonstrators' protesting against the rise in the price of electricity.
The clerics are priest Asohgik Karapetyan and Bagrat Galstanyan, head of a department at the Holy See of Etchmaidzin in charge of religious and conceptual issues, who spoke both to police officers and the protesters. In the meantime police are calling on protesters not to breach public order.
On June 19 protesters declared a three-day sit-in in Freedom Square in Yerevan saying on Monday they would march to the presidential administration to demand that the president cancel the latest rise in electricity price.
Deputy police chief Valery Osipyan conveyed to the demonstrators the request of his superior that the protesters form a 5-member group whom president Serzh Sargsyan is ready to receive to discuss the situation, but the protesters denied the offer. The police warned that they will prevent attempts to disturb public order.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) formally raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s Russian-owned power distribution company - the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA).
This means that the daytime electricity price for households will rise from 42 drams to almost 49 drams (10 U.S. cents) per kilowatt/hour. The households will pay almost 39 drams per kilowatt/hour during night hours.
The daytime electricity price for households already went up by 27 percent in July 2013 because of the increased cost of Russian natural gas generating more than one-third of Armenia’s electricity. The PSRC raised it by another 10 percent in July 2014.
The Electricity Networks of Armenia is a 100% subsidiary of Russian INTER RAO UES. ($ 1 - 473.96 drams). --0-
The clerics are priest Asohgik Karapetyan and Bagrat Galstanyan, head of a department at the Holy See of Etchmaidzin in charge of religious and conceptual issues, who spoke both to police officers and the protesters. In the meantime police are calling on protesters not to breach public order.
On June 19 protesters declared a three-day sit-in in Freedom Square in Yerevan saying on Monday they would march to the presidential administration to demand that the president cancel the latest rise in electricity price.
Deputy police chief Valery Osipyan conveyed to the demonstrators the request of his superior that the protesters form a 5-member group whom president Serzh Sargsyan is ready to receive to discuss the situation, but the protesters denied the offer. The police warned that they will prevent attempts to disturb public order.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) formally raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s Russian-owned power distribution company - the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA).
This means that the daytime electricity price for households will rise from 42 drams to almost 49 drams (10 U.S. cents) per kilowatt/hour. The households will pay almost 39 drams per kilowatt/hour during night hours.
The daytime electricity price for households already went up by 27 percent in July 2013 because of the increased cost of Russian natural gas generating more than one-third of Armenia’s electricity. The PSRC raised it by another 10 percent in July 2014.
The Electricity Networks of Armenia is a 100% subsidiary of Russian INTER RAO UES. ($ 1 - 473.96 drams). --0-
