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RIA Novosti, Russia
May 12 2006
Update: Armenian speaker quits, party goes into opposition
15:28 | 12/ 05/ 2006
YEREVAN, May 12 (RIA Novosti) - The speaker of Armenia's parliament
quit his post Friday, and said his party would join the opposition
after leaving the ruling parliamentary coalition.
The Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party pulled out of the governing
coalition late on Thursday, citing pressure from the authorities.
"Nobody is waiting for us with open arms, either the authorities or
the opposition. But we are going into opposition," Artur Bagdasaryan
said, adding that Orinats Yerkir had its own set of values and its
own path.
"The path is to create a prosperous and well-to-do Armenia," he said.
Orinats Yerkir, headed by Bagdasaryan, had been in the governing
coalition together with the Republican Party and the Dashnaktsutyun
party (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) since parliamentary
elections in 2003.
Bagdasaryan also thanked all the political groupings his party had
been working with in the coalition.
"It was a time of failures, achievements and misfortunes," he said.
Bagdasaryan said his resignation Friday was the direct result of the
party's decision to leave the coalition.
"I find it immoral to stay on in the speaker's post at a time when
the Orinats Yerkir party has withdrawn from the ruling coalition,"
Bagdasaryan said. "I think all the party's members working in the
government should leave as well."
In the past ten days, nine parliamentarians - all respected
businessmen - have left the party in disagreement with the faction's
policy. Experts said they sought to deprive the party of funding
ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 2007, and to force
Bagdasaryan to resign.
The speaker said he would file his resignation May 22 at a
parliamentary session, the Novosti-Armenia agency said. The
resignation must be confirmed or rejected within the next five days.
Bagdasaryan said he could have held a vote of confidence on his
resignation instead.
"However, I will not do this because I think it would be better and
more moral to leave decently," he said said.
May 12 2006
Update: Armenian speaker quits, party goes into opposition
15:28 | 12/ 05/ 2006
YEREVAN, May 12 (RIA Novosti) - The speaker of Armenia's parliament
quit his post Friday, and said his party would join the opposition
after leaving the ruling parliamentary coalition.
The Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law) party pulled out of the governing
coalition late on Thursday, citing pressure from the authorities.
"Nobody is waiting for us with open arms, either the authorities or
the opposition. But we are going into opposition," Artur Bagdasaryan
said, adding that Orinats Yerkir had its own set of values and its
own path.
"The path is to create a prosperous and well-to-do Armenia," he said.
Orinats Yerkir, headed by Bagdasaryan, had been in the governing
coalition together with the Republican Party and the Dashnaktsutyun
party (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) since parliamentary
elections in 2003.
Bagdasaryan also thanked all the political groupings his party had
been working with in the coalition.
"It was a time of failures, achievements and misfortunes," he said.
Bagdasaryan said his resignation Friday was the direct result of the
party's decision to leave the coalition.
"I find it immoral to stay on in the speaker's post at a time when
the Orinats Yerkir party has withdrawn from the ruling coalition,"
Bagdasaryan said. "I think all the party's members working in the
government should leave as well."
In the past ten days, nine parliamentarians - all respected
businessmen - have left the party in disagreement with the faction's
policy. Experts said they sought to deprive the party of funding
ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 2007, and to force
Bagdasaryan to resign.
The speaker said he would file his resignation May 22 at a
parliamentary session, the Novosti-Armenia agency said. The
resignation must be confirmed or rejected within the next five days.
Bagdasaryan said he could have held a vote of confidence on his
resignation instead.
"However, I will not do this because I think it would be better and
more moral to leave decently," he said said.