SPEAKER TO REQUEST CEC TO STRIP TSARUKYAN OF HIS MANDATE
Roza Hovhannisyan, Reporter
Country – 16 February 2015, 16:30
The staff of the National Assembly is studying the attendance records
of Gagik Tsarukyan, head of Prosperous Armenia Party, and the reasons
of his absenteeism.
Armtimes.com informed that the speaker of the National Assembly
is likely to request the Central Electoral Commission to strip
Tsarukyan of his mandate. The head of the NA Public Relations and
Media Department Arsen Babayan did not dismiss news on applying to the
CEC in an interview with Lragir.am. “Once the process is completed,
everything will be clear,” he said, noting that there is no clear
decision on the day.
In answer to the question why the National Assembly applies to the CEC
instead of putting the issue of stripping Tsarukyan of his mandate
to vote in the National Assembly, Babayan said: “For the beginning,
I can say that there is a decision of the Constitutional Court revoking
the provision on putting this issue to vote.”
Babayan also added that the process will be completed as soon as
possible.
The secretary of the CEC Press Secretary Hermineh Harutiunyan told
Lragir.am that the commission has not received any letters or protocols
from the National Assembly.
In answer to the question on how long it takes to make a decision after
receiving one, the secretary said they will refrain from comments as
long as no such a letter has been received.
Note that Gagik Tsarukyan missed 133 meetings of parliament during the
past session, which means 100% absenteeism. Most absences, however,
were then considered valid by the speaker.