Associated Press Worldstream
July 13, 2004 Tuesday 11:43 AM Eastern Time

Armenian opposition lawmakers defend their boycott of parliamentary
sessions

YEREVAN, Armenia

Opposition lawmakers in Armenia on Tuesday defended their nearly
yearlong refusal to attend parliamentary sessions as a political
boycott against this ex-Soviet republic’s leadership.

“The absence of opposition deputies from sessions of the Armenian
National Assembly should be considered the ultimate political action
to boycott the parliament’s work,” said the opposition factions,
Justice and National Unity.

The opposition statement came in response to a letter sent by the
parliament’s committee on state and legal questions to all 24
opposition deputies asking them to explain their absence.

Some of the opposition lawmakers have refused to attend parliamentary
sessions since last July to protest against Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, whose resignation they have demanded. Kocharian won a
second term in presidential elections a year ago that sparked mass
protests and which the opposition claims was marred by widespread
violations.

Parliamentary officials have said they are considering whether to
punish the opposition lawmakers for violating discipline by not
attending sessions of the 131-seat parliament, including stripping
them of their parliamentary mandate. The opposition, meanwhile, has
said it is currently deciding whether to continue the boycott.