Tweet
ARMENIA: AUTHORITIES AND OPPOSITION ARE ALMOST 50/50
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 24 2014
24 June 2014 - 10:52am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
New tendencies on a slight equalizing of the influence of the
authorities and the opposition on the situation in the National
Assembly, which has always been the most important lever of the power,
are appearing in Armenia. It is confirmed by events over another
session of the National Assembly which took place last week. The
parliamentary majority approved a packet of draft bills, including
an amended draft on funding pensions.
Representatives of four opposition parties (Dashnaktsutyun, the
Armenian National Congress, Heritage and Prosperous Armenia) took
advantage of the situation on June 18th when only 63 MPs of the
majority party were present at the session, didn't register, and
the session failed due to the lack of a quorum. The same situation
occurred on June 19th.
Only on June 20th did the National Assembly manage to adopt the amended
draft on funding pensions, with 67 MPs voting for it. On June 21st it
was adopted in the second reading. The opposition boycotted the vote,
as in the new draft obligatory payments are not cancelled, they are
simply transformed into social payments. Moreover, the opposition
accused MPs of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia of voting on
behalf of absent MPs. According to the opposition, only 64 MPs from
the RPA were present at the session, rather than 67.
Representatives of the opposition quartet say that the procedure of
adoption of the draft and the absence of sufficient public discussion
of it give them grounds to address the Constitutional Court. The
parliamentary majority accused the quartet of blackmail and attempting
to break up a session of the National Assembly. The reason for the
problems the authorities are facing is that the number of RPA MPs in
the parliament is 70, which is almost equal to the minimum number of
votes which are necessary for decision-making - 66.
Despite official propaganda from the authorities, the invincibility
of the RPA and the weakness of the opposition, real processes are
becoming more and more clear. The grounds for the processes are the
adoption of several unpopular decisions by the authorities and their
unprofessionalism in settling urgent socio-economic problems. The
difficult socio-economic situation influences many RPA members who
own businesses. It leads to the occurrence of problems inside the
power structures. Some observers speak about an upcoming crisis inside
the RPA.
A new internal political situation is being formed for various
reasons. The balance between the authorities and the opposition is
drawing close to 50/50.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/56803.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 24 2014
24 June 2014 - 10:52am
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
New tendencies on a slight equalizing of the influence of the
authorities and the opposition on the situation in the National
Assembly, which has always been the most important lever of the power,
are appearing in Armenia. It is confirmed by events over another
session of the National Assembly which took place last week. The
parliamentary majority approved a packet of draft bills, including
an amended draft on funding pensions.
Representatives of four opposition parties (Dashnaktsutyun, the
Armenian National Congress, Heritage and Prosperous Armenia) took
advantage of the situation on June 18th when only 63 MPs of the
majority party were present at the session, didn't register, and
the session failed due to the lack of a quorum. The same situation
occurred on June 19th.
Only on June 20th did the National Assembly manage to adopt the amended
draft on funding pensions, with 67 MPs voting for it. On June 21st it
was adopted in the second reading. The opposition boycotted the vote,
as in the new draft obligatory payments are not cancelled, they are
simply transformed into social payments. Moreover, the opposition
accused MPs of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia of voting on
behalf of absent MPs. According to the opposition, only 64 MPs from
the RPA were present at the session, rather than 67.
Representatives of the opposition quartet say that the procedure of
adoption of the draft and the absence of sufficient public discussion
of it give them grounds to address the Constitutional Court. The
parliamentary majority accused the quartet of blackmail and attempting
to break up a session of the National Assembly. The reason for the
problems the authorities are facing is that the number of RPA MPs in
the parliament is 70, which is almost equal to the minimum number of
votes which are necessary for decision-making - 66.
Despite official propaganda from the authorities, the invincibility
of the RPA and the weakness of the opposition, real processes are
becoming more and more clear. The grounds for the processes are the
adoption of several unpopular decisions by the authorities and their
unprofessionalism in settling urgent socio-economic problems. The
difficult socio-economic situation influences many RPA members who
own businesses. It leads to the occurrence of problems inside the
power structures. Some observers speak about an upcoming crisis inside
the RPA.
A new internal political situation is being formed for various
reasons. The balance between the authorities and the opposition is
drawing close to 50/50.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/56803.html