Category: 2018

BREAKING NEWS: Parliament once again fails to adopt electoral code amendments

13:27,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Electoral Code amendments bill once again failed to be adopted in parliament during today’s special session.

The bill failed to pass earlier on October 22 also, when Republicans boycotted the session.

62 MPs voted in favor of the amendments, two voted against.

The bill required 63 votes to be adopted.

The remaining MPs from the 105-seat parliament did not vote.

The proposed amendments included reduction of the electoral thresholds and thresholds applied for returning electoral deposits and abolition of district lists, among others.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Two ARF lawmakers skip electoral code vote

13:54,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) faction MP Andranik Karapetyan and MP Romik Manukyan did not attend the voting for the electoral code amendments bill today.

The bill once again failed to be adopted.

62 lawmakers voted in favor, two voted against. 63 votes were required for the bill to pass.

The remaining MPs from the 105-seat parliament did not vote.

Parliament records show that Manukyan and Karapetyan did not attend the session. Other MPs from the ARF voted in favor.

All 31 MPs from the Tsarukyan faction, all nine MPs from the Yelk faction voted in favor.

The MPs who had withdrawn from the Republican (HHK) faction also voted in favor.

Republicans who had joined the petition on calling early elections in December 2018 also voted in favor.

Deputy Speaker (HHK) Arpine Hovhannisyan and HHK MP Armen Ashotyan voted against the bill.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Acting defense minister of Armenia holds meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

16:33,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Acting defense minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan received on October 29 OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – Igor Popov (Russia), Stephane Visconti (France) and Andrew Schofer (USA), who arrived in Armenia on a regular regional visit, the defense ministry told Armenpress.

The meeting was also attended by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

During the meeting acting minister Tonoyan touched upon the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact. He attached importance to the agreement reached between the Armenian Prime Minister and the Azerbaijani President in Dushanbe in September about the launch of operative connection, expressing hope that the Co-Chair countries will make efforts to establish and launch similar connections at other directions.

He said the Armenian Armed Forces carefully monitor the situation and all movements, adding that the unconditional maintenance of the ceasefire, the actions aimed at preventing incidents and reducing risks between the sides is very important in current conditions.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Acting FM of Armenia meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Yerevan

16:37,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s acting foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a meeting October 29 with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

The sides exchanged ideas over the meetings that have taken place around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the visits of the Co-Chairs to the region after the formation of the new government in Armenia.

Mnatsakanyan was pleased to note the positive dynamics that has developed until now in this context.

The acting FM of Armenia and the Co-Chairs addressed the meeting that took place between the Armenian PM and Azerbaijan’s President during a CIS event in Tajikistan and the reached agreements. Mnatsakanyan emphasized that the applied manifestation of these agreements are aimed for the development and encouragement of an atmosphere of peace.

Mnatsakanyan noted that the need to reject belligerent and destructive rhetoric remains topical.

The sides discussed upcoming further steps in the Co-Chairmanship format. In this context, the acting FM stressed that given the fact that after Yerevan the Co-Chairs will visit Stepanakert, Artsakh, and then Baku, Azerbaijan, the further steps will be able to be more comprehensively assessed after this.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Prosperous Armenia party’s pre-election list to be headed by Gagik Tsarukyan at upcoming parliamentary elections

16:51,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prosperous Armenia party’s pre-election list will be headed by Gagik Tsarukyan during the upcoming snap parliamentary elections, reports Armenpress.

“I will head the list. We are preparing the list. I am still thinking about how to prepare it so that there will be changes. There will be changes, we will see”, Tsarukyan faction head Gagik Tsarukyan told reporters in Parliament.

Asked whether the party’s list may include candidates from the Republican Party of Armenia, Tsarukyan said he and his team stand together with Nikol Pashinyan, they are trying to do so that after the revolution happiness will be long-lasting for the people.

Konstantin Zatulin says Russia interested in development of Armenian-Russian relations

19:41,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Russia attentively follows the developments in Armenia and is interested in the development of Armenian-Russian relations irrespective of who will be in power, ARMENPRESS reports first deputy chairman of the committee of the State Duma for the CIS and relations with Russian nationals abroad Konstantin Zatulin told the reporters.

“I hope Armenia and its citizens have the same mood. We are aware of Armenia’s domestic political life and we hope Armenia will be a stable country and that our ally will be able to overcome all domestic challenges and the economy will continue to grow. We support all the intentions of Armenia to attract investments. Russia, of course, has some role here since in the recent years it has been the largest investor in Armenia. I also think that the dialogue between the civil societies of the two countries is of key importance, because the relations between countries cannot be limited to inter-governmental level”, Zatulin said.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan