Coalition faction boycotts Armenian parliament session

YEREVAN, February 7, /ARKA/. The parliamentary faction of the Prosperous Armenia Party, a component of the ruling coalition, boycotted Tuesday the National Assembly session. The Republican Party faction leader, Galust Sahakyan, asked for a 20-minute break after Prosperous Armenia faction deputy Naira Zohrabyan made a critical declaration about the speaker and ruling Republican Party of Armenia. After this Prosperous Armenia faction members didn’t return to the session hall and didn’t participate in voting.

“Taking into account the fact that yesterday I was deprived of the opportunity to express the stance of the faction as well as non-correct assessments both fr om the speaker and different members of the Republican Party about Prosperous Armenia, I believe it is right to explain that during all the discussions our faction expressed its own position more than once concerning the yesterday’s bill and voted in accordance with its own beliefs, proving that its words are not at odds with their deeds, Zohrabyan said.

Prosperous Armenia party declared Monday at the National Assembly session that it would not participate in voting on a bill designed to lim it the volume of cash transactions by companies as a result the bill failed to go through in the first reading. Armenian parliament speaker Samvel Nikoyan from the Republican Party assessed the behavior of the coalition colleagues from Prosperous Armenian party as obscure. 

“What refers to vociferous declarations concerning the struggle against the corruption, it is clear to everyone that this bill has nothing to do with it, and its only aim is to provide the banks, which are already in the enviable position, with additional profits at the expense of the citizens of the country”, Naira Zohrabyan said.

The bill and a package of amendments to related laws call for restricting the volume of cash transactions between companies to 3 million drams ($7,700). 

The bill also proposes the obligatory installment of devices for non-cash payments at stores and other service places.. The bill is aimed at strengthening tax administration, struggle against black market and formation of non-cash payment trends.

The ruling parliamentary coalition includes the Republican Party of Armenia that controls 63 seats, the Prosperous Armenia -26 seats and Orinats Yerkir - 8 seats. -0-