National Assembly votes against initiative on creating March 1 ad hoc committee (video)
With a vote 66 to 46, the National Assembly today voted against the opposition’s initiative on creating an ad hoc committee to look into the March 2008 deadly clashes in Yerevan. Before the vote, Naira Zohrabyan, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), announced her party was going to vote for the bill and called on her fellow colleagues to follow suit. “All those who have nothing to hide and fear should vote for the initiative,” she said in her addressing speech. Galust Sahakyan, Head of the Republican Party (HHK) faction, confirmed his party’s decision to vote down the bill. “This is another attempt to make scenes here.” Gagik Jahangiryan, an MP of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) who is the author of the bill, said he did not intend to make scenes. “None of you, with the exception of Artak Davtyan, has made any proposal. Seeing that law enforcement bodies do not care to disclose the ten murders of March 1, 2008, we decided to participate in the process as well also bear responsibility for the things happening in this country.” Ruben Hakobyan, Head of the Heritage Party, was surprised that the parliament voted against the bill. His sentence was left unfinished as NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan ordered to turn off the microphone. “By voting against the bill you have voted against justice and shouldered the responsibility for the murders,” said Levon Zurabyan, another HAK MP.
