“For some reasons, the first president has become somehow active lately, related to the issue of Aghvan Vardanyan. They try to make a hurricane in a cup of water for unknown reasons,” such a view was expressed today during the Parliamentary briefs by Armen Rustamyan, the Secretary of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party, in a response to the criticism of Levon Ter-Petrossian.
Let us remind you, that Armenian Revolutionary Federation has announced that they are going to vote for the leader of the anti-governmental movement Nikol Pashinyan. But a member of ARF faction Aghvan Vardanyan announced that he is not going to vote for him. Armenian Revolutionary Federation demanded to leave his mandate and expelled him from the party. The first president of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrossian criticized that decision.
According to Armen Rustamyan: “There is not even a cup of water there: it is too obvious. When it comes to the MP’s rights stipulated by the Constitution, that he is guided by his own beliefs and conscience, Aghvan Vardanyan has just done that way: guided by his beliefs – he did not take part in the election, and guided by his conscience – he gave up his mandate. What is unclear here? That is, of course, only for some people, as whenever one speaks about the ARF traditions, they continually get shocked somehow. It is just due to those traditions that the party has been in existence for 125 years. And if we have ever said, that the ARF has its own structure and will impose some punishments, we have meant the rules of order and disciplines of our party. Aghvan Vardanyan’s renouncement does not contradict to the Constitution in any way. To the question that people said as if there had been some conflicts inside the ARF party, and that was the reason for Aghvan Vardanyan to do so, Rostomyan answered: “Well, what can we say, those are rumors, there cannot be any persecution towards any person in the party. The ARF is a collegial body, and an individual cannot manage the destiny of anyone; neither any sanctions, nor encouragements will be imposed, unless the collegial body is ascertained.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
