YEREVAN. – On what grounds should the Armenian National Assembly (NA) be dissolved? Solely because opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian—who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote and who declared a hunger strike on March 10 at capital city Yerevan’s Liberty Square—has declared that he won the election? There is no such practice in the world. Ruling Republican Party Vice-Chairman, NA MP Razmik Zohrabyan said this during a press conference on Tuesday.       

In his words, the parliamentary election was conducted one year ago and the NA works in normal fashion. The presidential voting likewise was held and its legitimacy is recognized. Hence, as per the MP, it is illogical to speak about snap elections.  

To the query as to his view on the chances of Heritage forming a shadow government, Zohrabyan responded that this is a negative phenomenon. 

“A shadow government is a secret structure which needs to be exposed and punished. Since they still are limiting themselves to expressing their freedom of speech in rallies, there is no problem. But if they stop speaking and start taking action, as it happened in March 2008 [in Yerevan], there are the Police, the Constitution, and the laws for these cases. We are not drawing a March 1, 2008 scenario, but if the opposition passes to an armed struggle, the Government will not permit the destruction of the state,” Razmik Zohrabyan said in particular.