Azernews.Az

By Laman Sadigova

Protesters in Armenia expect increase in number by Friday evening.

About 30 protesters remained on Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan for yet another night; and they are now awake and cleaning the camp.

"We are not planning to leave because our requirements about the tariff cuts have not yet been fulfilled," one of the protesters told RIA Novosti. He added that protesters have begun cleaning the area with the expectation that more activists would join them on Friday evening.

The Commission on Regulation of Public Services in Armenia in its June 17 meeting approved a decision to increase electricity tariffs by 6.93 Armenian drams (about $0.015). As a result, starting on August 1 consumers would have been required to pay 48.78 drams instead of the current 41.85 per 1 kWh per day.

The approval of price hike has spurred strong discontent among the population, as many in Armenia believe that the rise in electricity tariffs will consequently trigger a price increase for crucial basic goods and services in a country already plagued by miserable economic conditions.

However, once the authorities had offered to implement an audit of tariffs, the ranks of the protesters saw a split—some of them announced their readiness to terminate their actions. At the same time, most of the protesters remained on Baghramyan Avenue. They refuse to leave the street, "as long as the authorities do not fulfill their demands for lower tariffs", as the protesters claim.

Meanwhile, a civil initiative called “No robbery!” will convene a public meeting on Theatre Square in Gyumri on June 4 at 18:00.

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