Although on Monday the ARF declared about its decision to deflect from the governing coalition and becoming an opposition party and although on that same day the three ministers of the ARF, the governor, NA deputy-chair and the chairmen of the three NA standing committees submitted requests of resignation this oppositional party may still maintain three of its portfolios. Yesterday the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan suggested Armen Rustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Arthur Aghabekyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Interior Affairs, to take back their resignation letters. The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun thanked for the proposal and promised to discuss it at the ARF’s Supreme Council. Under the NA time-limit, the party is to give an answer within free days. Abrahamyan urged Dashnaktsutyun to withdraw Rustamyan’s and Aghabekyan’s resignations. He said the offer reflects the Armenian authorities’ readiness to cooperate with the opposition. Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in Armenia met to discuss the offer later in the day. “Mindful of the fact that this step is aimed making the political area healthier, we accept the coalition’s proposal,” Vahan Hovhannisyan, the leader of the nationalist party’s parliament faction, said the next morning. “The ideas that underpinned the coalition proposal are dear to us,” Hovhannisyan told the National Assembly. “We ourselves have for years fought, both inside and outside the coalition, for expanding opposition rights in our country and creating a civilized environment for debate.” “We will strive to ensure that the opposition has more mechanisms for counterbalancing and restraining the authorities while working with them,” he said. “A strong opposition strengthens the state.” However as of yesterday 6 p.m. the decision of the ARF Supreme Body around this issue wasn’t clear yet. "It is time we learned that the opposition and authorities shouldn’t hold a hostile attitude towards each other. The culture isn’t developed in our country yet." Dashnaktsutyun member Artyusha Shahbazyan said commenting on the NA Speaker’s proposal. With regard to ARF’s ministerial portfolios, Mr. Shahbazyan noted that the party received them as a result of a political agreement. Reminder: In a written statement, the Dashnaktsutyun leadership in Armenia reiterated the nationalist party’s condemnation of an agreement on the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations announced by the two governments. Under these circumstances it is strange that by becoming an opposition the ARF may retain its governmental portfolios, especially the one, which directly relates to Armenia’s foreign relations – the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. The former (still present) chairman of the NA standing committee on foreign affairs Armen Rustamyan doesn’t see anything strange in the possibility that the Dahsnaks may still maintain their governmental posts. “I think that there is no contradiction when the committees are headed by the opposition. The role of the NA is totally different and there is level of freedom and independence that should be benefited from. We have long ago had the opinion that the opposition should submit certain posts. The amended bylaw of the NA defines that clearly. It should be considered a quite normal phenomenon. This type of governance exists in developed countries. This will increase the role of the NA,” said Rustamyan. Let us remember that last year when the number of the NA standing committees reached 12 from 9 positions were offered to the Heritage as well. However, the Heritage refused to submit the posts of chairman and deputy-chairmen of the committees. “I am sorry that the Heritage refused such an opportunity,” said Rustamyan. This time as well there are vacant posts, which the Heritage may occupy. “We have refused this suggestion once and nothing changed after that,” yesterday responded the chair of the Heritage faction Armen Martirosyan. The decision will be seized upon by those members and supporters of the main opposition Armenian National Congress who claim that Dashnaktsutyun will continue to collaborate with Sargsyan in its new status. Levon Zurabyan, an ANC leader, said that the nationalist party has yet to “earn the right to be a real opposition.” For their part, Dashnaktsutyun leaders have indicated they are unlikely to cooperate with the opposition alliance led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. They have also made clear that their party, which had been controversially banned by Ter-Petrosyan years ago, will not seek to topple Sargsyan or force fresh elections. "Last month the Heritage party has already made a statement on the forthcoming mayoral election. The party called its electorate to vote for the opposition candidate during the May 31 election," Martirosyan said in the National Assembly. The Dashnaktsutyun is already considered an opposition in Armenia. In reply to a question whom the Heritage meant by saying "opposition", Mr. Martirosyan said: "We meant the Armenian National Congress (ANC). The ARF- Dashnaktsutyun declared itself as an opposition only two years ago. One needs to act to prove that he is an oppositionist. You can do nothing with words." Martirosyan didn’t say who he meant by saying opposition.
