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Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
Aug 28 2004
Opposition Bloc To Continue Parliament Boycott
28/08/2004 10:15
Armenia's biggest opposition group, the Artarutyun (Justice)
alliance, decided on Friday to continue its seven-month boycott of
parliament debates, defying government threats to revoke the mandates
of its 14 lawmakers.
The other opposition force represented in the National Assembly, the
National Unity Party (AMK) is expected to follow suit -- a move that
would mark a continuation of a political confrontation between the
Armenian authorities and their opponents.
Victor Dallakian, an Artarutyun leader, said the bloc's governing
board headed by Stepan Demirchian decided that its parliamentary
faction will not attend the upcoming autumn session of the 131-member
legislature because the authorities have failed to meet any of the
opposition demands.
`In effect, there has been no serious change of the situation,' he
told reporters. `Nor have the reasons for our departure from the
National Assembly been eliminated. That is why the alliance finds its
activity in the National Assembly not expedient.'
Dallakian said Artarutyun continues to demand a referendum of
confidence in President Robert Kocharian and a punishment of security
officials responsible for the violent break-up of the opposition
demonstration in Yerevan early on April 13. `Restoration of
constitutional order and formation of a legitimate government' remain
the key opposition goal, he added.
The pro-Kocharian parliament majority's refusal to debate such a
recall vote, suggested by the Constitutional Court in April 2003, is
what prompted the Artarutyun deputies and their nine colleagues from
the AMK to start the boycott. The move was followed by their joint
campaign of street protests aimed at forcing Kocharian into
resignation. The bid for regime change, which has been denounced as
unconstitutional by the authorities, fizzled out by early June amid
mass arrests of opposition activists across the country.
Leaders of the parliament majority have tried hard to get the
opposition minority to return to the parliament during the
traditional summer lull in Armenian politics. In particular they have
offered it a say in their ongoing efforts to reform Armenia's
constitution and electoral legislation.
Earlier this month, the parliamentary leader of Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian's Republican Party, Galust Sahakian, claimed that
the authorities need the opposition's cooperation to better cope with
external challenges that might `endanger Armenian statehood.' He at
the same time reiterated government threats to strip the opposition
of its parliament seats.
Armenian law allows the parliament to recall deputies that fail to
attend its sessions for `unjustified' reasons.
The threats have been shrugged off as a `bluff' by both Artarutyun
and the AMK. The latter's outspoken leader, Artashes Geghamian, told
RFE/RL this week that government officials have tried to convince AMK
candidates that failed to get elected to the parliament on the party
list basis last year to take the place of the AMK deputies. He
claimed that none of them has agreed to break ranks.
Geghamian and Dallakian said that the opposition will rethink their
tactics which failed to bear fruit last spring. The Artarutyun board
will discuss the issue on September 2. `Naturally, there will be
unexpected approaches and solutions,' Dallakian said without
elaborating.
Aug 28 2004
Opposition Bloc To Continue Parliament Boycott
28/08/2004 10:15
Armenia's biggest opposition group, the Artarutyun (Justice)
alliance, decided on Friday to continue its seven-month boycott of
parliament debates, defying government threats to revoke the mandates
of its 14 lawmakers.
The other opposition force represented in the National Assembly, the
National Unity Party (AMK) is expected to follow suit -- a move that
would mark a continuation of a political confrontation between the
Armenian authorities and their opponents.
Victor Dallakian, an Artarutyun leader, said the bloc's governing
board headed by Stepan Demirchian decided that its parliamentary
faction will not attend the upcoming autumn session of the 131-member
legislature because the authorities have failed to meet any of the
opposition demands.
`In effect, there has been no serious change of the situation,' he
told reporters. `Nor have the reasons for our departure from the
National Assembly been eliminated. That is why the alliance finds its
activity in the National Assembly not expedient.'
Dallakian said Artarutyun continues to demand a referendum of
confidence in President Robert Kocharian and a punishment of security
officials responsible for the violent break-up of the opposition
demonstration in Yerevan early on April 13. `Restoration of
constitutional order and formation of a legitimate government' remain
the key opposition goal, he added.
The pro-Kocharian parliament majority's refusal to debate such a
recall vote, suggested by the Constitutional Court in April 2003, is
what prompted the Artarutyun deputies and their nine colleagues from
the AMK to start the boycott. The move was followed by their joint
campaign of street protests aimed at forcing Kocharian into
resignation. The bid for regime change, which has been denounced as
unconstitutional by the authorities, fizzled out by early June amid
mass arrests of opposition activists across the country.
Leaders of the parliament majority have tried hard to get the
opposition minority to return to the parliament during the
traditional summer lull in Armenian politics. In particular they have
offered it a say in their ongoing efforts to reform Armenia's
constitution and electoral legislation.
Earlier this month, the parliamentary leader of Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian's Republican Party, Galust Sahakian, claimed that
the authorities need the opposition's cooperation to better cope with
external challenges that might `endanger Armenian statehood.' He at
the same time reiterated government threats to strip the opposition
of its parliament seats.
Armenian law allows the parliament to recall deputies that fail to
attend its sessions for `unjustified' reasons.
The threats have been shrugged off as a `bluff' by both Artarutyun
and the AMK. The latter's outspoken leader, Artashes Geghamian, told
RFE/RL this week that government officials have tried to convince AMK
candidates that failed to get elected to the parliament on the party
list basis last year to take the place of the AMK deputies. He
claimed that none of them has agreed to break ranks.
Geghamian and Dallakian said that the opposition will rethink their
tactics which failed to bear fruit last spring. The Artarutyun board
will discuss the issue on September 2. `Naturally, there will be
unexpected approaches and solutions,' Dallakian said without
elaborating.