The opposition factions in the Armenian parliament, Hayastan and Pativ Unem, denounced the ruling team for the decision to strip two opposition MPs of their seats.

Lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract party voted unanimously on Friday to oust Hayastan bloc’s Ishkhan Saghatelyan and Vahe Hakobyan as deputy parliament speaker and chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, respectively, for absenteeism.

In a joint statement, the opposition factions claimed the move was aimed at “distracting public attention from security challenges facing the country, the risk of a new war they have warned about, the Berdzor issue and new concessions, as well as their failure to repatriate prisoners of war.”

“The international community is persistently trying to ignore the setback in parliamentarianism, while there should have been an immediate and sharp response to such a conduct of the authorities,” the opposition said.

“The move indicates that the incumbent authorities are only concerned about keeping their posts, are busy with political persecution and are unable to deal with the challenges facing the country. They have no legitimacy and do not represent the interests of Armenia and Artsakh,” reads the statement.