YEREVAN. – Armenian coalition government’s junior member Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party (RLP) held a Political Board session, during which the participants discussed the political consultations with the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP). It is inexpedient to now discuss the issues that were raised by PAP, since there is no time; the presidential elections lie ahead, RLP Vice Chairman Mher Shahgeldyan said during a press conference on Saturday.  

As per Shahgeldyan, the matter of passing to a one-hundred-percent proportional election system—which is at the basis of the aforesaid political consultations—is acceptable for RLP and it is prepared to discuss this issue after February’s presidential elections. With respect to the other matter that is discussed during these consultations, specifically, passing to a parliamentary system of governance, in the RLP Vice Chairman’s view, this matter is an anachronism and it is inconsistent with RLP’s approach toward state governance, especially with regard to the security issue.  

Mher Shahgeldyan added that no other meetings are scheduled with PAP along the lines of the political consultations and, instead, the RLP representatives will meet with the opposition ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party. 

In his words, RLP’s relations with the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) are limited to those at the National Assembly (NA), and he does not believe RLP has any scope of cooperation with the ANC.

Incidentally, Orinats Yerkir still has no decision with respect to the NA special session to be convened on November 21 and at the Armenian National Congress’ initiative.