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Zaruhi Postanjyan has asked thornier questions, head of Armenian delegation to PACE says

Lusine Vasilyan

Head of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe David Harutyunyan wonders why Zaruhi Postanjyan’s question to President Serzh Sargsyan at PACE session has given way to heated discussions. According to him, Postanjyan’s question to the President in 2011 was even thornier, although more correct from the point of view of ethics. Representative of the Heritage Party then demanded from the President to leave the country.

David Harutyunyan considers that Postanjyan’s question was unprecedented in PACE, although there have been MPs using this strategy to launch their political activity. “I remember Vladimir Zhirinovsky and several others using such tricks at PACE. This does not mean, however, that my attitude towards such behavior is positive. My attitude is definitely negative, and I think the question was offensive. “But this was not the worst blow,” he said

Harutyunyan believes it was a greater blow to the opposition. PACE holds a number of discussions on the rise of the role of the opposition. However, this is not the behavior the Assembly considers complying with European standards

Did Zaruhi Postanjyan’s question harm the reputation of Armenia and its President? David Harutyunyan says “it changed nothing.” “The President of the Republic has participated in more complicated negotiations and has discussed harder issues,” he said.

According to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly, a Deputy shall not be persecuted for his/her statements. Won’t this contradict Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan’s intention to make changes in PACE delegation? According to Harutyunyan, this provision has nothing to do with the situation. He believes that whatever decision is made, it will not contradict the PACE requirements. The most importance is to keep the balance of forces in the delegation.

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