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ARF calls for referendum on Amulsar

21.08.2019, 16:31
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) part called today for holding a national referendum on the controversial Amulsar gold project.

ARF calls for referendum on Amulsar
YEREVAN, August 21. /ARКА/. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun (ARF) part called today for holding a national referendum on the controversial Amulsar gold project.

“Given the public outcry, we believe that it is necessary to conduct additional research and solve the problem through a referendum,” said Ishkhan Saghatelyan, representative of the Supreme Body of the party.

In an interview with tert.am. he said that the arguments presented by the government in support of the project are  unconvincing. In his words, an additional dialogue between professional groups is needed to resolve the issue through a referendum. “Let our people decide whether the gold deposit should be developed or not ,” Saghatelyan noted.

The development of the Amulsar project was halted in 2018  June after environmental groups and local residents set up illegal blockades preventing access to the mine.  They argue that the project would pollute the Jermuk mineral water springs  and Armenia's largest Lake Sevan. Police have failed to remove the protestors.