Armenian Parliament Speaker: Opposition Alliances “Hayastan” and “Pativ Unem” Have No Future

YEREVAN — Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan said today that the return of two opposition alliances to parliament after months-long boycott was positive, but added that one should not have any expectations from it.

“It is bad that there is no (true) opposition in Armenia. Former officials and oligarchs used their money to close the opposition field for healthy (opposition) forces. It is evident that Hayastan (Armenia) and Pativ Unem (I have honor) opposition alliances are no longer able to act as political opposition. I am also certain that Hayastan will disintegrate. These two alliances are political forces with no future,” Simonyan told reporters.

“I am certain that the people who joined Hayastan alliance at different times for different reasons will leave it or lay down their parliamentary mandates and Dashnaktsutyun (the Armenian Revolutionary Federation) will single-handedly head it. But Dashnaktsutyun does not have enough strength and votes in the country to have 30 seats in the legislator and consequently the alliance will disintegrate,” the speaker said.

At the same time, he did not rule out that “a lot of people who once had problems with the law and thought that a parliamentary mandate can protect them, will now realize that this is not true.’

Speaking of those deputies who skip parliamentary sessions, Simonyan said it would be right if they “didn’t get paid and didn’t take a seat.”

Two opposition alliances of the Armenian parliament- Hayastan (Armenia) and Pativ Unem (I have honor) took part today in a session of the National Assembly after a months-long boycott announced in mid-April this year.