DID THE PRIME MINISTER READ THE CONSTITUTION?
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 14 2006
One had a deja vue before the November 14 meeting of the National
Assembly. The members of parliament entered the National Assembly
traversing the lines of policemen. The people, who have become
homeless as a result of expropriation, gathered several meters from
the gate of the parliament building and the members of parliament. On
the eve these demonstrators had tried to talk to some members of
parliament for a couple of minutes, which was considered an attempt
of take hostages, and today the police simply did not allow them to
approach the gate of the National Assembly for the free movement of
the members of parliament. And they moved on. Without taking a look
at the people gathered over there. The demonstrators were amazed by
this attitude? "Who do these members of parliament fear? It’s them
who shoot one another, not us."
It is not the first time these people protested. And this is not the
first day they came to the National Assembly. They come to demand that
the members of parliament elected by people vote against the bill on
expropration. So it is natural that they shouted abuse when they saw
the Republicans. Republican Member of Parliament Hermine Naghdalyan
was reproached most of all because on the eve she had promised to
the victims of expropriation to vote against the bill but then she
announced she would vote like her party, i.e. for the bill.
Instead, Khachatur Sukiasyan and Alvard Petrosyan got applause because
at least they are not for the bill. Member of Parliament Khachatur
Sukiasyan even made some proposals to improve the bill. His proposals,
as well as the proposals of other members of parliament and the NGOs
were rejected. In an interview with the Lragir the chair of Victims
of Expropriation Sedrak Baghdasaryan stated that we do not have a
parliament or a government but "a gang who have usurped government
offices and are making money ignoring the interests of people. We
have a minister of justice who does not think about justice and the
rights of people."
The demonstrators demand the resignation of the prime minister,
and in answer to this the prime minister asks to show him the point
in the constitution which enables the demonstrators to demand the
resignation of the government. "According to the representative of
the political party of the prime minister Rafik Petrosyan, the prime
minister does not read the laws. Meanwhile, he is ashamed of referring
to the Constitution? Did he read the Constitution. I remind Article
1 of the Constitution especially for the prime minister: the Republic
of Armenia is a democratic republic. In other words, people can elect
and demand the resignation of anyone and at any time they want. Let the
prime minister know that he will not remain in this office forever. He
may have read the Constitution of an African state and since 2001
he has been robbing the people’s property. The Constitutional Court
barred expropriation in 1998. They do not care for the decision of
the Constitutional Court," stated Sedrak Baghdasaryan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
