An opposition politician claimed on Tuesday that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government is too scared to cede a leadership position in Armenia’s newly elected parliament to his party.
Pashinian’s My Step alliance named the incoming speaker of the National Assembly and two of his three deputies ten days after winning the December 9 parliamentary elections by a landslide.
The Armenian constitution reserves the third post of deputy speaker for a representative of the parliamentary opposition. It will therefore be given to one of the two other political parties that have entered the new parliament: Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and Bright Armenia. They will have 26 and 18 parliament seats respectively.
Pashinian indicated on Monday that My Step lawmakers will likely vote for a candidate of the BHK because the latter is the second largest parliamentary force.
Gevorg Gorgisian, a senior Bright Armenia lawmaker, dismissed Pashinian’s explanation. “It’s a political decision, and I think it’s wrong to cover it up with different wording,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “They should just come out and openly say that they have decided to gift that post to the BHK.”
Gorgisian insisted that his party will be a “strong opposition” with or without controlling the post of vice-speaker. “Maybe they are scared of further strengthening Bright Armenia by giving it [power] levers,” he said of the parliament majority.
Bright Armenia, Pashinian’s Civil Contract party and another party made up the Yelk alliance that was in opposition to the country’s former government. Pashinian toppled it in May after weeks of mass protests organized by him. Bright Armenia declined to join the protest movement.
Facebook Forum