Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian on Wednesday urged Armenia’s four main political parties challenging President Serzh Sarkisian to jointly seek a parliamentary vote of no confidence in his new government.
“If there is no common position on the new government’s program in the parliament and on the street, I will make my final evaluation,” the leader of the opposition Zharangutyun (Heritage) party said. “I very much hope that … we will have no exceptions in and outside the parliament. Those forces have promised joint protests and systemic changes to the people.”
The warning appeared to be primarily addressed to Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the second largest parliamentary force that has cooperated with Zharangutyun and two other established opposition parties in the past several months.
The BHK campaigned forcefully against the government until former Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s unexpected resignation early this month. It has yet to clarify whether its deputies will vote against the policy program of the new cabinet currently formed by Sarkisian’s successor, Hovik Abrahamian.
The program’s approval by the National Assembly would amount to a vote of confidence. Tsarukian has close personal ties to Abrahamian.
BHK lawmakers raised questions about the future of the four-party cooperation on Tuesday when they overwhelmingly voted for Galust Sahakian, President Sarkisian’s pick for the new speaker of the Armenian parliament. Hovannisian indicated his disappointment with that. He called the vote a “final wake-up call” to the BHK, Zharangutyun, the Armenian National Congress and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
“If there is no common position on the new government’s program in the parliament and on the street, I will make my final evaluation,” the leader of the opposition Zharangutyun (Heritage) party said. “I very much hope that … we will have no exceptions in and outside the parliament. Those forces have promised joint protests and systemic changes to the people.”
The warning appeared to be primarily addressed to Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the second largest parliamentary force that has cooperated with Zharangutyun and two other established opposition parties in the past several months.
The BHK campaigned forcefully against the government until former Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian’s unexpected resignation early this month. It has yet to clarify whether its deputies will vote against the policy program of the new cabinet currently formed by Sarkisian’s successor, Hovik Abrahamian.
The program’s approval by the National Assembly would amount to a vote of confidence. Tsarukian has close personal ties to Abrahamian.
BHK lawmakers raised questions about the future of the four-party cooperation on Tuesday when they overwhelmingly voted for Galust Sahakian, President Sarkisian’s pick for the new speaker of the Armenian parliament. Hovannisian indicated his disappointment with that. He called the vote a “final wake-up call” to the BHK, Zharangutyun, the Armenian National Congress and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.