On July 14, the meeting of the National Assembly with the agenda of applying to the Constitutional Court on the issue of depriving most of the members of the opposition of their mandate did not take place because the members of the opposition did not appear. The session was postponed for next week. As for the decision of the Civil Contract, the NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan stated in a briefing with journalists:
“We will not appeal to the Constitutional Court with a motion to deprive the mentioned MPs of their mandate. First of all, let’s record that in the context of the removal of several opposition MPs from their positions in the National Assembly, the problem of the organization of commissions and the work of the National Assembly can be considered solved. In addition, our political creed includes respecting the people’s vote. We think that this behavior of the opposition should be a problem for their voters first and foremost.”
According to Ruben Rubinyan, the citizens who voted for the opposition should reconsider their approach in the next elections. In response to the observation that in the past they were firm in depriving the opposition of their mandates, is there pressure from the international community now, Rubinyan said, “I don’t understand the question. We have never said that we will apply to the CC. What does that have to do with what I said? We said that there is a question, and it will automatically come to the NA because the threshold of absences has been exceeded. We will not appeal to the Constitutional Court on this matter.”
When asked why they discussed the issue so much, if as a result they would not give a final solution, Ruben Rubinyan said, “Different Civil Contract representatives said that the issue is being discussed because you asked about it and received answers. A decision has been made, which I have already said.
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One of the reasons is that we think that our country needs political stability and solidarity now. And the last one: we believe that if the opposition thinks that we are going to turn to the CC and throw them a lifeline of escape, then they are wrong. They should come to the National Assembly and work with their heads down, they should not be able to say what they have said on the streets these months, we should look them in the eyes and say what we want.”
The journalists reminded that the opposition has said that it will not come. “Heads will hang. If they don’t come, we will discuss it. If they don’t come, it will turn out that the issue of applying to the CC will come up again,” Ruben Rubinyan responded. To the question about if Civil Contract will give more reasons for not applying at that time, he answered, “Life is changeable. If they reaffirm the lack of respect for the people’s vote, the discussions will be different.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
