Epress.am News from Armenia
An altercation took place at a press conference today between Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) MP Karen Avagyan and Heritage Party MP Stepan (Styopa) Safaryan after the former said Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian (pictured) is like a “political clown.”
According to Avagyan, by shaving his signature moustache and launching a hunger strike (for two weeks last March), Hovannisian “created a circus.”
This statement was followed by Safaryan’s request to the Republican MP to be appropriate and not provoke him (Safaryan) to direct insults to Armenian President and HHK party leader Serzh Sargsyan.
“The circus is when [HHK MP] Hermineh Naghdalyan is asked why she is voting for someone else [in parliament], and she surprised says, [who] me? When [no-party-affiliate MP] Ara Babloyan cynically responds to the same question, saying ask me about the medical field. That’s clownery,” Safaryan added.
The opposition MP also said he was concerned and it pained him when because of such behavior by ruling parties people are disappointed with politics in general, including with opposition parties.
During the altercation, Avagyan said he wished the Heritage Party “political virility”.
“What, should we destroy and annihilate like you so that we may appear manly — is that virility?” Safaryan retorted.