The 35 lawmakers representing the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances began the boycott in April in advance of their daily demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation.
Under Armenian law, a lawmaker can lose their seat if they skip, for “non-legitimate” reasons, at least half of parliament votes during a single semi-annual session of the National Assembly. The final decision to that effect is to be made by the Constitutional Court at the initiative of the parliament’s leadership or at least one-fifth of the deputies.
According to the parliament administration, all 29 deputies representing Hayastan and four others affiliated with Pativ Unem can now be formally accused of absenteeism.
Opposition sources said that the National Assembly Council consisting of speaker Alen Simonian, his two deputies and chairpersons of the parliament’s standing committees will discuss a possible appeal to the court at a meeting slated for Thursday.
Armenia - Speaker Alen Simonian chairs a session of the National Assembly, May 3, 2022.
Simonian on Tuesday described the proceedings as “pleasant.” But neither he nor other senior pro-government parliamentarians clarified whether they will push for their opposition colleagues’ ouster from the parliament.
“I will express my opinion when we make or do not make a corresponding decision,” deputy speaker Ruben Rubinian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Artur Hovannisian, the secretary of the ruling Civil Contract party’s parliamentary group, likewise declined to reveal his position on the matter. He instead again denounced the continuing opposition boycott.
Hovannisian also said that even if the parliament’s leadership allied to Pashinian decides not to appeal to the Constitutional Court this time around it may do so this fall.
Hayk Mamijanian, Pativ Unem’s new parliamentary leader, dismissed these threats as a “disgrace” and “political farce.”
Armenia - Opposition deputies arrive for a scheduled session of the National Assembly boycotted and thwarted by its pro-government majority, Yerevan, February 23, 2022.
“For me it’s more important that our actions be patriotic and effective in the eyes of citizens who voted or didn’t vote for us,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “I don’t really care if Civil Contract starts or doesn’t start such a process.”
Opposition boycotts of parliament sessions have not been uncommon in Armenia in the past. No opposition lawmaker was stripped of their seat because of that.
Hayastan’s Ishkhan Saghatelian made clear on Monday that the two opposition forces will continue their boycott and hold more antigovernment rallies in the weeks ahead. “Our agenda is in the streets,” he said.
Earlier this month, the ruling party ousted Saghatelian and another opposition leader, Vahe Hakobian, as the parliament’s deputy speaker and chairman of its economic committee respectively. Virtually all other opposition deputies holding leadership positions in the National Assembly resigned in protest.