HAK: “We are close to resumption of negotiations” (video)
Armen Rustamyan, Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) faction, says that it isn’t excluded that the current opposition will not enter the parliament during next parliamentary elections; such a thing happened in 2007, “The opposition existing before 2007 actually didn’t enter the parliament, if you can remember “Justice” bloc, Artashes Geghamyan’s party etc. And there was real vacuum in the opposition field. And just at that time Levon Ter-Petrosyan became active.” Thought, according to the new Constitution, entry of the opposition forces to the parliament is mandatory. There is a place for new opposition forces, says Mr Rustamyan, “This electoral system grants an opportunity so that the opposition has got 1/3 presence in the National Assembly. It can, for example, overcome 5 percent threshold, but according to the Electoral Code, receive 1/3 of the field.” The NA Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction leader Levon Zurabyan thinks, “Here not the Constitution must give any guarantees, but there should be free and fair elections. That is a guarantee, that not the opposition should have its place, but maybe the opposition may come to power?” Levon Zurabyan explains that the negotiations over consensus with the international organizations and the authorities are underway, “Consensus should include both the fake opposition and the real opposition.” The consultations with the civil society are also underway. It seems that the consultations on resumption of negotiations over consensus are coming to an end. Levon Zurabyan is optimistic, “We are approaching to the resumption of the negotiations and maybe even with the positive result. But the closest date isn’t clear. I think it must be in a few days.”
