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Successful Protest Against Yerevan Bus Fare Increases

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  • Successful Protest Against Yerevan Bus Fare Increases

    SUCCESSFUL PROTEST AGAINST YEREVAN BUS FARE INCREASES

    Transitions Online, Czech Rep.

    July 30 2013

    Armenian civil society is debating whether a successful protest
    against public transit fare hikes marks a turning point or just
    another political skirmish, EurasiaNet.org writes.

    Taron Margarian

    On 25 July Yerevan Mayor Taron Margarian reversed the fare hikes
    after a five-day bus boycott and city hall protest. On 20 July the
    price of a trolleybus ride doubled, to 100 drams ($0.24), and bus and
    minibus fares went up from 100 to 150 drams. The city had blamed the
    fare increases on rising fuel prices.

    Stepan Safarian of the opposition Heritage Party hailed the protest's
    success as a sign that "society made authorities understand that
    [people] will no longer ... put up with robbery and the violation
    of its rights," EurasiaNet.org writes. Sociologist Isabella Sarksian
    said she hoped the week's events would encourage young people to get
    more involved in civil society.

    But Galust Sahakian, deputy chairman of the governing Republican
    Party of Armenia, said, "If the government wants, it can stop the
    [protest] movement in a night," although he voiced support for the
    demonstrations. He also called on the public to "show restraint and
    not act as heroes."

    Such a well-organized demonstration could not have happened
    spontaneously, analyst Armen Badalian told EurasiaNet.org. The real
    point of the exercise was an intra-party ploy to weaken Margarian,
    he suggested. The mayor is seen as a possible Republican Party
    presidential candidate.

    Although large demonstrations are rare in Armenia, protests broke
    out in February after President Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected amid
    fraud allegations from other candidates.

    http://www.tol.org/client/article/23881-skopje-remembers-63-quake-yerevan-bus-riders-cheer-fare-cut.html

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