“One week ago, the RPA faction accepted an announcement about recent events. My colleagues had discussed the announcement, and they had signed off on accepting holding parliamentary elections in December. No one had voiced any other opinion. According to my sources, a few parliamentarians were subject to pressure. They also tried to find out if any foreign countries had any influence on the parliamentarians,” the National Assembly foreign affairs committee President, Vice President of the Republican Party Armen Ashotyan said to reporters, referring to the initiative signed by 14 members of parliament regarding holding parliamentary elections in December. Nine of them were members of the RPA.
Armen Ashotyan did not exclude the possibility of several of those parliamentarians willingly signing the initiative. Reporters tried to find out from Armen Ashotyan what type of pressure he was referring to. “I said what I said. According to the information I have received, they were pressured, but as I said, I don’t exclude the possibility of it having been done willingly. However, it’s obvious that Nikol Pashinyan is issuing orders on Facebook through writing who’s right and who’s wrong, who should be supported and who shouldn’t. This process is similar to the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church issued indulgences forgiving sins, including future sins. I don’t think that Nikol Pashinyan is someone who should forgive everyone or issue indulgences. I only know of one person who can do that, and his name isn’t Nikol Pashinyan, but Jesus of Nazareth,” Armen Ashotyan said.
He did not comment on the memorandum signed with Prosperous Armenia. He said that it’s their right and the RPA respects it. He said that they would respect the ARF if they signed a similar memorandum.
Nelly Grigoryan
