OPPOSITION PARTY GETS PARLIAMENTARY CREDENTIALS
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 13 2007
Elected MPs of an opposition party led by Armenia’s ex-parliament
speaker have finally collected their parliamentary credentials after
a week’s delay.
Eight members of Artur Baghdasarian’s pro-western Orinats Yerkir voted
into the National Assembly in last month’s legislative elections
received their mandates at the Central Electoral Commission on
Wednesday.
According to Orinats Yerkir’s central headquarters, Artur Baghdasarian
accompanied by several members of his party left for Vanadzor on a
business trip later in the day.
Baghdasarian’s deputy Mher Shahgeldian told RFE/RL that Orinats Yerkir
has not yet picked their faction’s leader and secretary.
However, Baghdasarian is likely to take charge. Another senior Orinats
Yerkir member, Heghine Bisharian, is likely to get the secretary’s
position.
"We all will be represented in standing committees," Shahgeldian added.
However, no applications from Orinats Yerkir for membership in
committees have been received at the National Assembly yet.
Meanwhile, ex-foreign minister Raffi Hovannisian’s Heritage party,
which like Orinats Yerkir until yesterday refused to pick up their
parliamentary mandates pending the Constitutional Court’s review of
election appeals, held their first meeting at the National Assembly
today. The seven-member faction elected Hovannisian their head and
Stepan Safarian secretary. It also adopted its statutes.
The Heritage deputies nominated their members to be involved in several
standing committees. In particular, Armenia’s first ombudswoman Larisa
Alaverdian was proposed for the parliament’s committee on European
integration, theology professor Vartan Khachatrian for the defense,
national security and internal affairs committee, educator Anahit
Bakhshian for science, education, culture, youth and sport affairs,
political scientist Stepan Safarian for foreign relations committee,
civil rights lawyer Zaruhi Postanjian for state and legal issues
committee, and university lecturer Armen Martirosian for the committee
on social, health and environmental issues.