A parliamentary delegation headed by Alen Simonyan will leave for Canada։ whom did they find appropriate to include in the delegation?

In Armenia, which has a parliamentary system of governance, opposition MPs rights to be included in international platforms and delegations are deprived, as well as the right to express their opinion.

“Zhoghovurd” daily newspaper wrote earlier that a parliamentary delegation from Armenia headed by NA Speaker Alen Simonyan will leave for Canada, Ottawa, on an official visit on September 25-30. In the delegation, Alen Simonyan once again included exclusively the representatives of the ruling faction. Besides himself he chose Artur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the ruling “Civil contract” faction, who is known for his hooligan behavior, and the press has repeatedly referred to it․ In the delegation also included members of the “Civil contract” faction Rustam Bakoyan, who is known for his shameful history of violence against his civilian wife, Arman Yeghoyan, who is known for his impulsive character and has been involved in many scandals and fights till now, and finally Hasmik Hakobyan, who is the former assistant of NA Speaker Alen Simonyan, the girlfriend of the chief of staff of the National Assembly Davit Arakelyan, whose relatives and acquaintances work in the National Assembly as a result of corruption intervention.

And now, they are going to an exemplary, democratic country Canada, to represent the National Assembly of Republic of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly is a collective body of government and there are also 2 opposition factions. And especially in parliamentary countries, the representation of the opposition within the framework of the activities of the National Assembly is mandatory.

“Zhoghovurd” daily newspaper turned to Movses Harutyunyan, the spokesperson of the NA Speaker, to find out why the opposition is not represented in the delegation to Canada made by the sole decision of the NA Speaker Alen Simonyan.

“According to the NA Speaker, it was appropriate to include the appointment of the delegation those MPs who are active in the Armenia-Canada friendship group and contributed to the development of friendly relations between the two countries,” answered the spokesperson of the National Assembly President.

In other words, the Speaker of the National Assembly evaluates who is Canada’s friend, while the head of the Armenia-Canada friendship group, which includes 21 MPs, is Ishkhan Saghatelyan, from the opposition “Armenia” faction, and he was not included in the delegation.