‘Year of growing global reputation’, ‘difficulties’: lawmakers recap 2018 in Armenia
13:12,
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Some Members of Parliament find 2018 to be a year of growth for Armenia’s reputation, while others say it was a tense year of difficulties. However, all of them vow to realize their promises of the past year in the coming year.
“In 2018, Armenia made history in global political science as a country where a bloodless revolution took place. 2018 was Armenia’s year, it was the year of bloodless change of power in our country. And in this context I find this to be the biggest achievement. While the upcoming events of next year greatly depend on each of us. It will depend on the government and the work of each of us whether we will be able to transform the revolution that concluded with the December 9 early election of parliament into an economic revolution, in order for every citizen themselves to feel the positive results of this revolution also in the economy of the country,” Tsarukyan faction MP Naira Zohrabyan told ARMENPRESS.
In turn, Yelk faction MP Alen Simonyan also noted that this year the political life of Armenia was marked with the most honest, fairest elections that have ever taken place. “We still have to create so many precedents for it to become a usual thing. From now on, the foundation for new different political cultures was laid, and Armenia’s reputation grew in the global arena,” MP Simonyan said. He noted that now people have faith for their own strengths and the government. Simonyan added that they must try to exceed the achievements of this year.
Republican Party (HHK) MP Armen Ashotyan, however, says he finds 2018 to be a rather difficult and tense year for both the country and their party. “New challenges facing Armenia are not getting eliminated and solved simply by the fact that a change of power has taken place. That’s why in 2019 the main function of our party will be to be the most principled fundamental political power in the opposition political arena, by trying to raise through criticism and alarms the issues that we see concerning Armenia’s security, the future of Artsakh and strengthening of our positions in the region”, Ashotyan said. The HHK failed to garner minimum required votes in the general election and will not be represented in the next parliament in 2019.
He noted that not being in parliament will deprive them from certain influence tools, namely from parliamentary supervision for the government. “However in today’s informational environment it isn’t a mandatory condition for being engaged in public politics. Our team consists of skilled people and we know how to supervise the government without being in parliament,” Ashotyan said.
Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party President Edmon Marukyan says 2018 is a great achievement in terms of finally a change having happened in the country, opening new opportunities for truly capitalizing these changes and reaching serious results. “I believe this is a very important fact. New elections, new results and a new parliament happened due to this. For us, a big achievement is our new faction with the name of Lusavor Hayastan. A year full of new expectations awaits us,” Marukyan said.
He emphasized that they must justify their campaigning messages – be opposition, a counterbalance, a checks and balance.
ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) MP Ruzan Arakelyan said their party was able to accurately navigate at times when various situations were developing in 2018. “The steps that we took, I believe, were right for both the party and Armenia. We didn’t [get elected] to [next parliament], but the significant part of the people that voted for us has expectations from us. And that is why in the coming year we must be able to justify the expectations of our voters with right steps, by choosing the country’s security as a starting point,” she said.
The lawmakers also extended holiday greetings and congratulations on New Year and Christmas to everyone.
Interviews by Anna Grigoryan
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan