Opposition MPs not allowed to attend democracy forum

YEREVAN, May 20. /ARKA/. Armenian opposition MPs entered the Marriott Hotel today, which is hosting Armenian Democracy Forum.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy as well as MPs and government members are attending the forum.

Opposition MPs said they wanted to clarify the situation with democracy at the forum, but they were not allowed into the hall and as a result there was a scuffle. Journalists were not allowed into the hall either.

"Nikol Pashinyan's Bastion of Democracy discusses the democratic processes in Armenia and invites only pro-government MPs, while opposition MPs are not allowed to attend," said opposition MP Agness Khamoyan.

According to another opposition MP Anna Grigoryan, "in the so-called Bastion of Democracy opposition deputies failed to meet with people who supported the processes that took place in Armenia in 2018 (velvet revolution) and in 2021 (early parliamentary elections)."

"Opposition deputies could not meet with them, to declare the existence of political prisoners in the country and that MPs  are subjected to beatings in broad daylight," she said.

On Friday, the opposition marched from France Square to the presidential residence, where the Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda was received by Armenian president Vahagn Khachaturyan. Gegham Manukyan, a member of the opposition Hayastan parliamentary alliance, said their goal was to show that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has no mandate to negotiate (with Azerbaijan) on behalf of Armenia. -0-