‘If Necessary, We’ll Sign It’: Prosperous Armenia MP on New Coalition Memorandum

The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Prosperous Armenia party (BHK), and Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law, or OEK) signing a new coalition memorandum is likely, said BHK MP Vardan Bostanjyan, speaking to journalists in the capital today.

“If it becomes necessary to sign a memorandum for development of the country then we’ll sign it. Indeed, is it a crime to do so for such a good cause? Signing documents is a practice accepted around the world. There’s nothing worse in the world than talking [i.e. agreeing] orally,” he said.

Bostanjyan denied reports of discord within the coalition. However, he did mention that the meeting of coalition parties two days earlier aimed to “shake off the tension” among coalition members.

The MP assured the press that tension ahead of elections is natural, since “it’s a competitive struggle and everyone wants to be a winner.”

“During the meeting we discussed the matter of holding fair elections. Tension and a lack of trust among one another are [two] different things. There’s no distrust among the coalition parties. The coalition parties have always worked toward maintaining stability,” he said.

Weighing in on the proposal to move to a 100% proportional representation party list, which will be discussed by the parliamentary Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs today, he said:

“I think, we’re too late in moving this issue forward. At the time when we were discussing amendments to the electoral code, 100% proportional representation wasn’t given resonance, so we decided to leave it for reform in the future, though our party is in favor of this. But I don’t think that this matter is the only way to hold fair and transparent elections.”