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$11 million is not enough if you want to become democratic - Nikol Pashinyan (video)

Politics
nikol-bagratyan

Some political figures in Armenia said the agreement signed by the five parliamentary factions on June 16 was a historical document,” Armenian lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan said in the National Assembly during the discussion of the new Electoral Code. He says after studying the document thoroughly he understood that it was really ‘a historical document’ in the sense that ‘it makes a mock of the Armenian statehood.’ “They say they already know what is to be done to build confidence in democratic electoral processes. While I was reading the statement I recalled “Honorable Beggars,” novel by Armenian satirist Hagop Baronian. “There is an episode in the book when a man goes to Apissoghom Agha and introduces himself as a poet who wants to dedicate a poem to Apissoghom [ a wealthy merchant from Trebizond]. Then he says his muse will not come. Apissoghom asks whether his muse will come if he gives him money. Now the same is happening in our reality. Today, these five factions together with the government are begging $16 million from donor organizations. In their turn, these donor organizations wonder whether we shall become democratic if they give us $11 million while the government says that $11 million is not enough…” Pashinyan concluded his speech saying that he would vote against the new Electoral Code.