MPs from the opposition “Armenia” and "I Have the Honour" factions left the first session of the Armenian National Assembly of the eighth convocation, boycotting the discussion of the candidacy of Alen Simonyan, the speaker of the ruling “Civil Contract” Party, the “News-Armenia” reports today.

The opposition nominated the arrested mayors of Megri and Sisian – MPs Mkhitar Zakaryan and Arthur Sargsyan – for the post of the vice-speaker of the parliament. The opposition demanded from Knyaz Khasanov, the presiding MP from the “Civil Contract” Party, to ensure the presence of its candidates at the parliament session, referring to the parliamentary regulations, but Knyaz Khasanov noted that was not in his competence, the “News-Armenia” reports.

Every MP may be nominated for the position of the parliament speaker, says Aram Vardevanyan, a member of the “Armenia” bloc. “It turns out that Mkhitar Zakaryan and Arthur Sargsyan could not present their programme provisions, and therefore, the process based on those negotiations cannot be legal,” the “News.Am” quoted him as saying.

The parliament session was also held amid a protest action organized by relatives of the prisoners of war. Relatives of the prisoners of war (POWs) kept in Azerbaijan gathered in front of the parliament building and demanded to include in the parliament’s agenda the issue of returning the POWs, the “News.Am” reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 2, 2021 at 05:26 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.