Balasanyan was elected NA Vice-Speaker
Today former OEK (Country of Law) party member turned BHK (Prosperous Armenia) party member Samvel Balasanyan took the office of NA Vice-Speaker.
The former vice-speaker of the National Assembly Arevik Petrosyan didn't take back the appeal that she had filed three days ago and the parliament was forced to hold new elections for vice-speaker. The only contender was BHK MP Samvel Balasanyan.
"I would like to thank the BHK and Gagik Tsarukyan for nominating me in this highly responsible office" said Samvel Balasanyan and gave an introduction.
There were no questions or speeches.
Gagik Tsarukyan had also come to parliament to support his fellow partisan and told journalists that the BHK had at least 4 candidates.
As far as Arevik Petrosyan's resignation is concerned, Gagik Tsarukyan preferred not to address that issue and only stated that he didn't agree with Petrosyan's statement that the NA podium is not a place to raise political issues.
The NA "Heritage" and "Country of Law" factions boycotted the elections for NA Vice-Speaker and didn't show up to parliament at all. " "Country of Law" is not taking part in the elections to not impede them," said party representative Gagik Baghdasaryan.
"Heritage" MP Armen Martirosyan told "A1+" that not participating in the appointments is an issue of principle for his party; otherwise, "Heritage" would nominate an alternative candidate to Samvel Balasanyan.
Out of the 83 MPs who participated in the elections for NA Vice-Speaker, 74 voted for, 6 voted against and 3 ballots were recognized as invalid. Samvel Balasanyan thanked all MPs who participated in the elections, including those who voted against him. NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan advised him to work in a way so that those who voted "against" would "regret doing so".
