Ruben Hakobyan: You are driving us to a deadlock with the current EC (video)
There are lawmakers in the Armenian parliament who speak ‘in the language of saints,’ Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan said during the discussion of the bill on amending the Electoral Code. He said he had gone a long way with many of the opposition MPs. “I know who you are. The truth is that the opposition is never pleased with election results. Some jealousy is felt towards the majority who are labeled as ‘button pressers.’ It speaks about the unity of the team. And now they have come here to give us advice. Instead of dictating your rules here you had better take this bill from the vote. I do not think that the bill will change anything at this moment,” he said. Head of the Heritage faction Ruben Hakobyan was the last to take the floor. He said judging by the statements he had heard in parliament he could understand ‘who is who.’ “I do not think that the proportional representation system is the only correct option but I do believe that it is the best option in case of Armenia. Is there anyone who can explain to me how it happens that the more people leave Armenia, the more voters appear on the electoral register? I simply cannot understand it,” said Mr Hakobyan. He stressed that the authorities were against the electoral amendments. “Can you imagine what might happen if the boomerang returns to your children? They will blame you for making such a mistake. Let me explain it on a definite example. Imagine what might happen if the queen is stolen from a chess board. The game will end. You are not sincere. You are exerting your last efforts. Once one of our classical writers went to buy a tropical fruit – mandarin, but he was told that he lived in a mountainous area where mandarin does not grow. The writer agreed and left but on the way home he was wondering what he would say to his wife. The same is happening here with us: we are speaking about amendments to the Electoral Code while you are speaking about constitutional amendments. You are neglecting the simplest truths that we are saying,” Mr Hakobyan said adding that the authorities are driving them to a deadlock with the current EC.
