Parliamentary Assistants Demand Bonuses, Vahan Naribekyan Confirms

The head of the National Assembly staff, Vahan Naribekyan, has no intention of submitting his resignation as long as he has not been instructed to do so by the President of the National Assembly. Naribekyan made this statement in a conversation with News.am, addressing rumors circulating in the media that during a closed meeting of the ruling 'Civil Contract' faction, a decision was made, based on demands from assistants of députés seeking bonuses, that Naribekyan must leave his position.

“I am a subordinate of the President of the National Assembly, and only he can propose that I write a resignation letter. I cannot write a resignation letter based on the demands of the assistants of the députés. If the President of the National Assembly does not want to work with me, I will respect that decision,” he noted.

Naribekyan disclosed that some assistants to the MPs have put forth demands for bonuses, but he did not specify whether these assistants belong to the faction leader Hayk Konjoryan or secretary Artur Hovhannisyan, as mentioned in the media. “I won't name names because the list is long, and I have not addressed that list, but there were indeed individuals who expressed interest. In any case, bonuses can be received twice a year by public servants as prescribed by law; other workers, including assistants, cannot.”