The 2013 budget remains the main topic of debate in Armenia’s parliament.

Prosperous Armenia Party MP Nayira Zohrabyan took the floor and stated that the proposed budget would do little to raise Armenians from the grip of poverty.

“This declared war on poverty, like other similar campaigns, will remain fruitless. The social situation in the country will stay bad and the 6.2% growth rate they talk about has had no real impact on the lives of our citizens,” declared Zohrabyan.

The outspoken MP noted that there are millions of dollars to organize lectures on potato growing but the government cannot find sufficient funds to raise the minimum wage to decent levels.

“The government called the 2012 budget a survival budget. But this budget isn’t a survival budget but a crawling one. Citizens will be crawling due to it. The Prosperous Armenia Party cannot in good faith vote in favour of it, Zohrabyan concluded.