ARFD CHAIRMEN OF TWO RA NA STANDING COMMITTEES TO CONTINUE HOLDING THEIR OFFICES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 30, 2009

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The ARFD Armenian Supreme Body at its
April 29 meeting discussing political coalition’s proposal voiced by
NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamian the same day at the parliament decided to
accept it. Thus, ARFD members Artur Aghabekian and Armen Rustamian will
continue holding the posts of Chairmen of the Standing Committee of
Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs and Standing Committee
on Foreign Relations, respectively. Faction head, ARFD Bureau member
Vahan Hovhannisian stated at the April 30 NA sitting.

"The ideas being the basis of coalition’s proposal are close to us,
and we ourselves in the coalition and outside it for many years have
struggled for expansion of opposition’s rights in our country and thus
formation of a civilized field for a dispute," he said. H. Hovhannisian
also stated that in their turn, they are also "ready to introduce a new
culture to Armenia’s political sphere, to political relations and being
an opposition are for and will struggle for the opposition to have more
counterbalance and reserve mechanisms working with the authorities.

It should be mentioned that due to ARFD’s decision on coming out of
the political coalition, the above mentioned committees’ ARFD chairmen,
as well as NA Vice-Speaker Hrayr Karapetian introduced applications of
resignation on April 27. According to the NA Regulations, applications
on resignation are considered accepted if they are not withdrawn by
written applications within three days.