Artur Vanetsyan
Armenia’s former national security chief-turned opposition leader Artur Vanetsyan on Tuesday announced that he is resigning his seat in parliament and is leaving the “I Have Honor” alliance, which he led since the group was elected to parliament last year.
Vanetsyan’s Homeland Party and the Republican Party of Armenia led by former president Serzh Sarkisian formed the small “I Have Honor” alliance, which together with the largest parliamentary opposition faction, the Armenia Alliance, has been holding protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“Today, in the manner prescribed by law, I have submitted a petition to resign from my parliamentary mandate. (…). The reason is obvious: the RA citizen had voted for us to stop the destructive activities of these authorities and to bring the country out of the disaster. However, in my opinion, this parliament has ceased to be an effective platform for achieving the goal,” said Vanetsyan in an announcement he publicized on Tuesday.
“The Board of the Homeland Party has made a decision to continue [its] activities outside the parliament. By the decision of the party, the ‘With Honor’ bloc we formed with the [former ruling] RPA party [hereby] de jure and de facto ceases to exist,” added Vanetsyan.
Before the “Resistance” Movement began its more than month-long street protests, Vanetsyan began a sit in Yerevan in protest of the government’s policies toward Armenia and Artsakh. His one-man protest was overshadowed by the thousands of protesters who marched onto the streets in support of the opposition movement.
Last month, as the “Resistance” Movement protests were taking place on daily basis, Vanetsyan was observed on plane leaving Armenia.
Per Armenia’s Constitution, Vanetsyan has seven days to withdraw his resignation. If such a request is not submitted or articulated his resignation will go into effect.