"Gas" Monster

EcoLur

On 13 December the National Assembly of Armenia as represented by two pro-authority factions – the Republican Part of Armenia and “Country of Laws” ratified the agreement between the Armenian Government and the Russian Federation Government on the sale of “ArmRusGasArd” CJSC shares and further operating conditions signed on 2 December 2013 in Yerevan.

The extraordinary session was accompanies with wide-scale protest demonstrations: journalists -  inside the National Assembly, the citizens were protesting outside. The protesters sought to open the gates of the parliament, while after the clash with the police they started throwing 10-dram coins behind the gates.

With “Serzhik, Give Gas and Leave”, “Death to Betrayers”, “Asala”, “We Are Decision-Makers”, “Don’t Sell Armenia” signs around 2000 citizens were demanding from the RPA deputies to vote against the gas agreement.

Before the voting “Heritage” Faction Leader Zaruhi Postanjyan collected the cards of RPA deputies thus depriving them of any opportunity to vote. The voting was conducted through a counting committee: four factions – “Prosperous Armenia”, “Heritage”, Armenian National Congress and Armenian Revolutionary Federation stated they don’t recognize the lawfulness of the voting.

Under Article 24 (5) of RA Law “On National Assembly Procedure”, the decision of the Counting Committee id passed with majority of its members’ votes, i.e. at least 4 members out of 7 should vote “for”. Four members out of 7 – Tigran Urikhanyan, Ludmila Sargsyan, Artsvik Minasyan and Tevan Poghosyan didn’t take part in any process laid down in Article 61 (2) or Article 61 (24) of RA Law “On National Assembly Procedure”.

ANC Faction memver Aram Manukyan made a statement to the people gathered around the parliament, “Fake voting has occurred, i.e. no voting took place and the agreement on gas and transfer of 20% shares was not ratified.”

“The voting took place with statutory violations, which is called official forgery committed by Parliament Speaker,” said “Heritage” Faction Leader Zaruhi Postanjyan.

“The Agreement contradicts to many provisions of state sovereignty. It should be recorded that the Constitutional Court of Armenia assessed the compliance of this Agreement with the Consitution exclusively with the order of the authorities,” said “Heritage” Faction member Styopa Safaryan. The only way out, under “Heritage” Faction member, is applying to international court bodies. 

December 23, 2013 at 18:55