Republican party gives no promise to PM regarding candidate nomination: RPA statement

Republican party released a statement relating to the situation registered on October 2 in Armenia.

Presenting the adopted bill, the party stated that its only goal is ensuring natural working process of the National Assembly. According to the party, the bill is adopted in accordance with the demands of the Armenian Constitution and is aimed at ensuring normal process of NA sittings, including the one to be convened for the election of prime minister.

“The regulations offered by the law are very clear. It offers interruption of the session until restoration of necessary conditions for its continuation,” the statement says, adding that the claims of it being anti-constitutional do not correspond to reality.

“Despite the law’s full conformity with Constitution, with the urge of the Prime Minister its voting was postponed in the morning of October 2 not to harm the process of negotiations. After it, though, the PM violated the arrangement and stated about conduction of snap parliamentary elections in December which made us convene extraordinary sitting and vote for the bill,” the statement runs.

As to the meeting with the Prime Minister in the NA, the RPA claims that setting elections for December is not agreed with the adoption of the bill but was planned by him beforehand.

“Besides, the premier stated about coming to NA for negotiations but he came to inform the MPs of his decision excluding any opportunity for dialogue. In such conditions the Republican party has not given consent or promise to the PM not to nominate its candidate,” the statement runs.

“The Republican faction stays of the opinion that the government should bring into life the program it has submitted to NA’s approval, and particularly improve the Electoral Code and give the political forces time to get prepared for the election process which supposes their conduction in May-June of 2019,” the statement runs, adding that during this period the natural and uninterrupted work of the NA must be ensured.

“Any pressures on the NA are inadmissible,” the statement reads, at the same time noting that the created situation should be solved only in political way.