PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN TOSSES ASIDE TALK ABOUT POSSIBLE ALLIANCE WITH RADICAL OPPOSITION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS: Parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian
tossed aside today talk about a possible alliance between his Orinats
Yerkir and the opposition Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party of Aram
Sarkisian, who served a short term as Armenia’s prime minister in 2000.
“There is still a great deal of time ahead of next parliamentary
elections,” he said suggesting that talk about possible alliances be
put aside until time comes.
The possibility of an alliance between Orinats Yerkir, a member
of the ruling coalition and the most radical opposition party was
prompted by a surprise exchange of courtesy between Baghdasarian
and Aram Sarkisian earlier this month. A local opposition newspaper
quoted Aram Sarkisian as saying that the parliament speaker is “the
only democratic force within the power pyramid.” Asked about whether
the opposition could rally around Baghdasarian, Sarkisian said that
that would depend largely on the parliament speaker himself. For his
part, Baghdasarian was quoted as saying that he was flattered by Aram
Sarkisian’s assessment of him.
S peaking today to journalists, Arthur Baghdasarian said talking about
possible alliances now was meaningless. “Positive assessments by some
opposition figures of the parliament chairman should not be the cause
of alarm. People have seen, noticed and expressed their viewpoints,
and I appreciated their honesty and their adherence to their principles
and therefore, there is no need for hasty conclusions,” he said.
The parliament speaker also said his Orinats Yerkir may consider
opening its branches in Nagorno-Karabakh after June 19 parliamentary
elections there. He also denied press reports about mounting
tension between Orinats Yerkir and another component of the ruling
coalition-the Armenian Revolutionary federation, sparked by accusations
of Shirak’s governor Romik Manukian of the Armenian Revolutionary
Party, that Orinats Yerkir parliamentary faction member Hovhannes
Markarian was tried in court years ago for stealing humanitarian
aid. The governor was quoted by a local newspaper as saying also that
Orinats Yerkir parliamentary faction’s leader, Samvel Balasanian,
purchased a brewery in Gyumri “at a laughably low price.”
“I do not think that this dispute has resulted in strained relations
between the two parties, but some people are trying to portray it as
a sign of rift between Orinats Yerkir and the ARF,” he said.