Your salary should not exceed 150,000 drams. Manuel Manukyan to regional governors

Manuel Manukyan, president of the NGO "Servicemen. Union of the Participants of the Four-Day War," stated on his Facebook page:

"An open letter to all regional governors, headed by the governor of Ararat. The basic salary of the Ararat governor is 661,400 drams. In the case of 104.5% performance bonus, the total amount is 691,163 drams. The basic salary of the deputies is 529,120 drams, and they have received 552,930 drams, and so on. Here I ask the question: what is your worth that you receive such amounts, when there are people in your region who are starving, homeless, under debt...? You are wasting all the powerful revolution we made together, and you are doing it legally, but we will not allow it; you will be held accountable for each of your actions.

It seems that good old nepotism and connections have a strong influence on getting positions legally. You, in Ararat, who is better than the citizens? You, along with your deputies, receive such bonuses—what about the rest of us...? The Prime Minister came and asked a simple question, and the entire regional administration did not know the answer; is that why you receive so much money at the expense of the state...?

Referring to the example of the Ararat governor, I direct my words to all regional governors: your salary should not exceed 150,000 drams. You are not better than any proud and dignified citizen of Armenia. We spoke about equality and justice, but I see something else.

Dear compatriots, I will never leave my struggle unfinished; my struggle has never been for an individual. I want to see workers, soldiers, teachers, doctors, farmers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and children living well in my country, not ministers, deputies, or regional governors.

Do not give up and do not retreat. In the hot moments of the revolution, many, seeing positions, crossed to the other side of the walls, going after individuals and material wealth, but many also remained with their ordinary people, living among the citizens, feeling the pain of the people. We, the ones who stayed, must continue to be vigilant in the course of the revolution. Remember, power is a very dangerous thing, and much depends on us. We must not give up, we must be consistent, and we must monitor all officials starting from the Prime Minister. You have heard that the supreme power is held by the ordinary people; this is the truth, and we can benefit from the highest position we currently have without holding an official title. I will not be silent... Everyone will be held accountable to the ordinary citizen."