Armenia`s ex-minister of justice calls on opposition to honestly  answer questions troubling Armenian citizens

ArmInfo.Former Justice Minister and former Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Arpine Hovhannisyan called on opposition forces, who have made it into parliament according to preliminary estimates, to honestly and reasonably answer questions troubling the country's citizens instead of making new promises.

On her Facebook page, Hovhannisyan called for politics to be viewed  as a platform for open dialogue and outlined questions that, in her  opinion, the opposition should answer, given the results of the June  7 parliamentary elections in Armenia. The first target, she said, is  Samvel Karapetyan's "Strong Armenia" bloc. The former Justice  Minister recalled that it was their side that had the highest  expectations of victory, and there was almost no discussion of any  other scenario. "For example, there was no open dialogue with voters  about what would happen in the event of a defeat-whether a real  defeat or a defeat due to electoral fraud. There was no discussion of  the steps planned for different scenarios or what political decisions  might be made under certain circumstances," Hovhannisyan noted.

In turn, Robert Kocharyan's "Armenia" bloc, according to her,  contrary to numerous forecasts, political commentaries, calculations,  and expectations, did everything possible to consolidate its voters.  "The core of their political campaign was mobilizing their own  electorate, and they solved this problem to the fullest.  Despite  everything, I believe that we all, as voters with opposition views,  deserve answers to a number of important questions. Moreover, for me  at this point, what those answers will be isn't even that important.  I am ready to respect any political decision as long as it is  justified, logical, and presented fairly to voters," Hovhannisyan  emphasized.

First, she asked whether the opposition intends to challenge the  election results in the Constitutional Court if it claims they were  falsified. "If so, what is the scope and nature of the violations?  Are we talking about violations recorded at individual polling  stations, or violations that, in your opinion, influenced the final  outcome of the election? And if you appeal to the Constitutional  Court, how much trust do you have in it?" the former minister asked.

In this regard, she recalled that for many years, the opposition  itself had claimed that, under the current government, the  Constitutional Court was formed through political interference and  controversial processes. In this vein, Hovhannisyan also called on  the opposition to honestly answer whether it trusts this court enough  to transfer the key stage of its political struggle there and  ultimately accept its decision.  "Specifically, if the Constitutional  Court decides that the election results should stand and there are  insufficient grounds to invalidate them, will you accept this  decision? Or, is the Constitutional Court's decision acceptable to  you only if it meets your expectations. And if the Constitutional  Court does not satisfy your demands and the election results stand,  what will the opposition do in that case? Will it intend to enter  parliament?" the former Justice Minister inquired.

She then asked the opposition what the basis for their decision, if  they decide to accept mandates and enter parliament, would be.  Specifically, Hovhannisyan clarified which political goal can only be  achieved in parliament and cannot be achieved outside of it. However,  she also called for this issue to be examined from the opposite  perspective and for a justification for the opposition's decision if,  on the contrary, it decides not to enter parliament. "Answer me, what  is the plan for further action, and what political outcome do you  expect from this decision? And if parliament does become a platform  for struggle, what specific tools do you intend to use? What, in your  opinion, are the mechanisms that can ensure a real political  outcome?" Hovhannisyan asked the opposition.

In this vein, she also called on opposition forces to clarify what  they consider the most effective result of the opposition  parliament's activities over the past five years and what specific  political, legislative, or public impact indicates that a  parliamentary mandate can be an effective political tool. "There are  also frequent hints that 'this will last until the end of the year'  or who knows how long, but the current government won't hold its  position for long, and the political situation could change  dramatically within one or two years. Is there such a calculation in  the logic of maintaining mandates and remaining in parliament? If so,  please elaborate. If not, why do these hints continue to circulate in  the political arena?" the former Armenian Minister of Justice added.

Furthermore, she called on opposition forces to answer whether they  are confident in the political reliability and loyalty of the  candidates included on their lists. Hovhannisyan herself expressed  the view that the opposition has problems in this regard, but  nevertheless called on them to honestly state their position on the  matter. "Say that too. Let those who want to win the mandate speak.  These aren't accusations. These are questions you are obligated to  answer. Not with slogans, not with emotion, without yet another  formula like 'everything will change soon,' but with clear,  understandable, and well-founded political explanations. You must lay  out your arguments, your vision. Don't tell us what Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan will say or do.  Or, if that is your argument, then  state it directly. Because voters not only vote, but also have the  right to understand what will be done with the political mandate they  received based on their vote," Hovhannisyan concluded.