Epress.am News from Armenia
"Let Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan not be offended if representatives of non-ruling parties say to him, 'You're making a mistake, chatlakh [you sleaze]’,” said Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D) MP Armen Rustamyan (pictured) in Armenia’s National Assembly today. The MP recalled that Tovmasyan, responding to a request for comments from members of the media regarding the four parliamentary factions’ intention to make a motion of no confidence against the government, said: “They’re making a mistake” [said in crude, colloquial language].
According to Rustamyan, the minister not only didn't apologize for his remarks, which is unacceptable, but also said that in Arabic, ghalat means "a mistake" (or slip up).
"Instead of saying I slipped up, I made a mistake, forgive me — he exacerbates the situation. If we follow this logic, if we have to decide who says what with the help of dictionaries, then we too know those words. If, for example, we say, 'You're making a mistake, chatlakh' [said likewise in a crude manner], don't get offended," said Rustamyan. After his remarks, the microphone was shut off and he didn't manage to explain what he meant.
Later, speaking to members of the media, the MP explained that chatlakh (colloquially understood as "sleaze") means "cracked" in the Stepan Malkhasyan explanatory dictionary.
After Rustamyan's remarks, there was uproar in parliament and National Assembly Vice Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov had to ask MPs to quiet down several times. One of the MPs requested the parliamentary ethics committee be invited.
Parliamentary Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan said he regretted the use of such expressions in parliament.
"This is very bad practice. Don't forget that our future generation is also listening to us. Mr. [ruling Republican Party of Armenia MP Ara] Babloyan, what is there to be happy about? You should be sad, but you're happy. It's a bad habit, Mr. Rustamyan. I would urge you not to respond like that. We condemn every instance of such attitudes by both a minister and a Member of Parliament. It doesn't befit us, having discussions of this caliber in the National Assembly," he said.