Armenian opposition MP slams government over utility contracts

An Armenian opposition lawmaker on Tuesday accused the government of failing to renegotiate key utility contracts during its eight years in office, as officials confirmed planned water supply cuts this summer.

At a parliament session on Tuesday, Artur Khachatryan of the opposition Hayastan faction stressed the ruling Civil Contract party continued to blame previous administrations while failing to revise water supply agreements.

“You’ve been in power for eight years, yet it’s still the former authorities who are at fault. You haven’t managed to renegotiate a single contract all this time. How have you managed to revise the ENA contract?” Khachaturyan asked, addressing Civil Contract MPs and Aramazd Ghalamkaryan, chair of the Water Committee at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.

Ghalamkaryan said earlier that water supply interruptions would be introduced this summer due to infrastructure issues and rising demand. He noted that efficiency measures were underway but acknowledged losses in secondary and tertiary distribution networks remained high.

Khachaturyan criticized the ministry’s spending priorities, arguing that millions were being allocated without visible investment in reservoirs or canals. “You’re spending 45 million, but God knows on what – certainly not on building reservoirs or canals,” he said.