YEREVAN. – Power corrupts people, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Edmon Marukyan, head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in the National Assembly (NA), wrote this on Facebook.

"Since yesterday, RA [Republic of Armenia] NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan was informed that in accordance with the NA Rules of Procedure, he may apply sanctions against the deputies," Marukyan added, in particular. “Yesterday he unilaterally applied sanction (removed from the sessions’ hall) against the MPs of the [opposition] Prosperous Armenia faction.

This morning during the session, the NA speaker again applied unilateral sanction (he announced a warning) against me.

Thus, Mr. Mirzoyan applies the sanctions of the rules of procedure adopted by the [former ruling] Republicans toward the opposition factions, deliberately ignoring the facts of making offensive expressions, obstructing the normal course of the session, and other violations by the representatives of his own faction.”