YEREVAN, January 5. /ARKA/. Armenia’s new parliament, elected in December 9 snap elections, will convene for its maiden session on January 14, Tigran Mukuchyan, chairman of the Central Election Commission, said Friday.
He said acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and another 17 candidates from the proportional list of his My Step bloc, notified the Central Electoral Commission that they refuse to take seats in the National Assembly.
They are Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, Acting Minister of Education and Science Araik Harutyunyan, Acting Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Suren Papikyan, Zaruhi Batoyan, Eduard Aghajanyan, Romanos Petrosyan, Head of the Control Service David Sanasaryan, Acting Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology Hakob Arshakyan, Acting Health Minister Arsen Torosyan, Garik Sargsyan, Acting Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan, Gnel Sanosyan, Trdat Sargsyan, Andrei Ghukasyan, Davit Gevorkyan, Narek Babayan and Acting Minister of Emergency Situations Felix Tsolakyan.
Also Krist Marukyan and Armen Baghdasaryan from the Bright Armenia Party said they will not take seats in the parliament. No elected MP from the Prosperous Armenia party filed a similar application, according to Mukuchyan.
In December 9 early elections the My Step won a sweeping victory with 884,864 or 70.42% of votes, Prosperous Armenia scored 103,801 votes or 8.26% and Bright Armenia 80,047 votes or 6.37%.
My Step will control 88 seats in the National Assembly, Prosperous Armenia will have 26 members and Bright Armenia 18. -0-