I have spent the past few weeks traveling through our villages across different regions. I want to share my observations:
1. People overwhelmingly want change. There are problems that have been accumulating for years – issues that no one has tried to solve or discuss with the people, or even offer a solution for.
2. With proper governance, 80–90% of these problems could be resolved in a very short time. It is simply a matter of understanding the problem and identifying the right solution.
3. We have brilliant people – hardworking, honest, and truly proud. What breaks them is a difficult life; what disappoints them is the absence of anyone addressing their problems.
4. The farmer has been left alone to deal with his problems. This is unacceptable.
During our conversations, residents are raising new issues that must be included in our agenda.
As you may know, the Prosperous Armenia party’s electoral program is called “A Proposal for Armenia.” This program is not written behind closed doors, presented as a final product. Instead, we do the opposite: we go to the people, we go to the villages and towns, we listen to their concerns, their problems, and the solutions proposed by them. Only then do our experts synthesize everything and present their solutions within the program.
People have asked me to pay particular attention to the following issues:
a. Loans: People need help. There is hardly a family without loans – they have been paying interest for years, yet the principal amount remains untouched. This issue must be resolved. Ultimately, banks should serve our citizens, not the other way around.
b. Agricultural Produce: There is deep anxiety among people regarding the fate of their agricultural output. While officials in city offices talk, appear in media, and gather political support, the farmer is worried: in the event of potential issues with the EAEU, what will happen to his harvest? For years, they have taken out loans, planted orchards, built greenhouses, and have just started to reap their yields. Yet fear lingers in their hearts – if political problems arise, the farmer will be the first to suffer again. Every village I have visited, this has been one of the first questions raised.
c. The Point-Based Penalty System for Taxi Drivers: Applying the same point-based penalty system to everyone is not fair. A man drives a taxi from morning till night, earning an honest living to support his family. Yet for a single minor violation – perhaps even a fabricated one – we place him in an impossible situation. How can this be right? The penalty system cannot be identical for taxi drivers and for those simply commuting from home to work.
d. Property Tax: This issue is particularly acute in Yerevan. The property tax law is fundamentally dishonest; such an approach is unacceptable. The law must be changed. Our team will come forward with a concrete proposal.
We will continue traveling through villages, towns, courtyards, and homes. We will talk with people, listen, articulate their problems, and together we will write our proposal for Armenia.