Category: 2018

Nikol Pashinyan says he believes that the country’s military spending must be adequate to the regional situation.

Republican Party (HHK) faction MP Tajat Vardapetyan asked the candidate for Prime Minister during today’s parliamentary hearing about his views on Armenia’s military spending.

“Do I find that today Armenia has a need for increasing military spending? Yes, I do. Today Armenia has a need to increase military spending. I am convinced that we will be able to significantly increase budget revenues, which will result in significant increases of military spending as well,” Pashinyan said.

In response to the MP’s observation that former president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili is expecting Nikol Pashinyan’s clear attitude regarding his return to Georgia, Pashinyan assured that he didn’t have any ties and doesn’t have any ties with Saakashvili.

“I don’t personally know Saakashvili, I have never had any interaction with him. What is happening in Armenia has received a wide reaction in the world. If we now try to understand who were the ones that expressed attitude we will see that they were people of various nationalities and various orientations. This doesn’t anyhow impact on what is happening. Saakashvili’s return to Georgia is exclusively the domestic business of Georgia and Saakashvili’s business”, Pashinyan said.

Vardapetyan also asked how Pashinyan imagines the NK conflict settlement without compromise. Pashinyan answered that it is unclear for him why one of the parties should speak about compromise when the other party is announcing about intentions of capturing Yerevan.

“Speaking about compromise makes sense when both parties speak about it. I have always said that it is ridiculous when the Armenian side responds to Azerbaijan’s threats with conversations about compromise”, he said.

Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan left the parliamentary sitting for 10 minutes as a sign of protest to PM candidate Nikol Pashinyan’s statement regarding children’s rights.

“Mr. Pashinyan, I didn’t have the intention of asking a question, you simply forced me. I will use what I have learnt from you, I will leave the hall for 10 minutes, as a protest to the statement which you made about the rights of children. Then, various international organizations which are dealing with children’s rights will explain your mistake to you. And if you get elected Prime Minister, don’t repeat such words from now on,” Babloyan said.

Before this, HHK faction MP Ruzanna Muradyan said that many schoolchildren had participated in the civil disobedience campaigns of Pashinyan. Muradyan asked the opposition leader how he would treat the fact if his own children would participate in demonstrations held by others. Pashinyan is a father of four.

“When the Karabakh movement began, I was a 13-year-old schoolkid. Me myself organized school strikes, marches, demonstrations and other protests those days. My children participated in these processes during my entire political activity and I find this to be a strong civil school for them. I find schoolchildren to be one of the most powerful layers and participants of our movement,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan says the participation of school children is the guarantee that all promises will become reality.

Muradyan, in response, said: “So it turns out that your motivations are so strong that you are even ready to ignore safety of children and you can ignore bad consequences, regarding the fact that they can’t make adequate decisions”. Pashinyan in response noted that children have constitutional rights, which they have exercised.

Vice Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov doesn’t see PM candidate Nikol Pashinyan as Prime Minister.

“Like yesterday, today as well, you, Mr. Pashinyan, didn’t convince me, I don’t see you in the role of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief”, Sharmazanov said during the debate of the election of the PM in the Parliament on May 1.

Sharmazanov said today they are electing a leader of the executive who first of all should be distinguished by predictability of political steps and clear political ideology. “Being predictable means to be consistent and unchanged. If you are elected, who is going to be the first deputy prime minister, the deputy PMs, the ministers of defense, finance, the Police chief, the head of the national security service? Who? No response”, Sharmazanov said.

He recalled that several months ago Pashinyan and his faction urged the leadership to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), but today they say a reality has changed. “When we were talking about the change of realities, you were blaming us in lie. Excuse me, this is at least not fair”, Sharmazanov said.

He added that Nikol Pashinyan didn’t present any concept on the Artsakh issue. “You didn’t present any concept on how you are going to negotiate, what will be the price of your mutual concessions, whether you are ready for mutual concessions or not, what will be the fate of the 7 liberated territories. You say you are going to increase the military budget. It’s good that you want, but how? I didn’t receive the response to this question”, the Vice Speaker said.

According to him, the most significant for politicians is the existence of ideology: he must have a concrete ideology. “I hoped to listen to a conceptual speech of the PM candidate, but I witnessed a non-program speech. We as well are concerned over the bad phenomena existing in our country. We don’t deny that corruption and injustice existed and continue existing in our country. Regardless of who will be the leadership, we must not move on through the path of ultimatums, but dialogue. My assessments are political and do not look for any personal attitude”, Sharmazanov stated.

The Vice Speaker summed up his speech with the following words: “If some people need shocks, we need a strong, united and democratic Armenia. God bless the Armenian people and every citizen of Armenia”.

Vardanyan emphasized that he represents a party and a faction, which has a decision on voting in favor, therefore he is ready to resign if his party demands.

“I am also [a part] of the people, I am excited with this movement, with this generation of independence, I want this huge accumulated energy to serve for strengthening of statehood, that suddenly no door of frustration and losses open. I cannot assume personal responsibility and vote in favor of Mr. Pashinyan’s candidacy. Otherwise I will hypocritically violate my constitutional right of voting with conscience and conviction. Frankly speaking this isn’t an election, I am left with two options – vote either for Nikol or Pashinyan. I will not vote, but this is the other side of the issue. I am a Dashnak [ARF], I represent a party and a faction which has a decision on voting in favor. There is only one exit from this duality for me. If the party will demand, I am ready to resign,” Vardanyan said.

He added that he highly values Pashinyan’s selflessness and determination and believes in the honesty of his aspirations.

“But I have never been guided by persons, I haven’t accepted idols. I have a foreboding feeling. I can’t be sure in these conditions that this all isn’t the combination of difficult and multilayered scenarios of a greater game with with folds, interests and consequences yet unknown for me. Be sure that I never say anything without grounds. If these folds aren’t clear for me, I can’t rule out that they won’t have irreversible tragic consequences for my people, the wonderful youth [standing] in the square, for Artsakh, my statehood,” he said.

The ARF had earlier endorsed Pashinyan’s candidacy.

The Supreme Body of ARF Armenia says the opinion of ARF faction MP Aghvan Vardanyan is his personal decision and isn’t in line with the official stance of the ARF.

“A gross disciplinary violation was committed, which will be subject to examination. Therefore, the ARF Armenia Supreme Body demands Aghvan Vardanyan to step down as Member of Parliament”, ARF said.

Vardanyan said in his speech during parliamentary debates that he will not take part in the voting of Prime Minister.

The Republican Party (HHK) faction of the Armenian parliament will vote against the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for Prime Minister, HHK faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan said after nearly 9 hours of debates.