The first sitting of the Consultative Assembly on Cooperation between Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and extra-parliamentary political forces took place. Representatives of 10 political forces took part in the sitting. It turns out that the session lasted quite a long time.
In a conversation with Aravot Daily, the leader of the European Party of Armenia, Tigran Khzmalyan shared his impressions about the meeting. “I do not know how possible it is to talk about efficiency from the first meeting. Although it was the second meeting, this was the first working session. Judging by several results, it can be considered that this is an attempt to create a constructive opposition in a country where this function should have been assumed by the parliament.
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If the parliament were what it should be in a democratic country, I am sure that this extra-parliamentary format would not be needed. But we all realize that the parliamentary elections were, in fact, a struggle between two geopolitical camps. At least the fact that Kocharyan’s wing was represented by the Kremlin is obvious, so the parliament at this crucial moment does not give Armenia the necessary flexibility in political and especially foreign policy that will allow the country’s ship to be brought to the port in these turbulent waters without serious losses.
This is how I assess the creation of this extra-parliamentary format because the majority consists of people and parties that represent the conventional democratic camp, which did not pass through Putin’s “sword,” at least with their rhetoric in the election programs. And now, the consolidation of those forces is very necessary. In fact, the executive branch has created a counterbalance to itself because without it, a democratic process will not succeed. Our first meeting was dedicated to all the issues that need to be discussed by both the parliament and the executive. Judging by the fact that we spent a whole working day together, that was the agenda. It should be considered that this may not be a formality, but a working format.”
Hripsime Jebejyan
