Ruling bloc lawmakers involved in brawl ready to resign if opposition reciprocates

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. Parliament Majority Leader (My Step bloc) Lilit Makunts has revealed the condition when three of their lawmakers will resign over the May 8 brawl during a parliament session.

“Bright Armenia faction is not a victim, it is a party to the conflict, moreover a party inciting the conflict. Sasun Mikayelyan is ready to resign in case of Edmon Marukyan also resigning. My Step lawmakers Artak Manukyan and Vahe Ghalumyan are also ready to resign, with the condition of Bright Armenia lawmakers Hrant Ayvazyan and Sargis Alexanyan also resigning. This is our stance, fairness and political consequence which must take place,” Makunts said.

On May 8, a bitter argument during a parliament session between opposition leader of the Bright Armenia party Edmon Marukyan and My Step lawmaker Sasun Mikayelyan escalated into a fistfight. Bright Armenia boycotted the session afterwards and called for “political assessments and consequences”.

Afterwards, PM Nikol Pashinyan spoke in parliament, and said that the incident was a result of a provocation by Bright Armenia, but at the same he condemned his My Step bloc for their actions.

The Bright Armenia party once again condemned the government’s reaction on the incident on May 11 through a statement.

Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan