ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER RESIGNS

Interfax, Russia
May 22 2006

YEREVAN. May 22 (Interfax) – Armenian parliamentary Speaker Artur
Bagdasarian has tendered his resignation.

Bagdasarian made the decision to resign and to quit his party following
disagreements with the president and two other parties in the ruling
coalition.

“We think democratic reform should be deepened further, the fight
against corruption stepped up and human rights defended more actively,”
Bagdasarian told the parliament on Monday.

“Recent opinion polls indicate that more than 70% of Armenian citizens
live in an atmosphere of fear, and we will fight against this,”
he said.