YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction lawmaker Tatchat Vardapetyan says he did not hurry while making the decision to join a petition of a group of lawmakers supporting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s stance for holding early elections of parliament in December.

Vardapetyan told ARMENPRESS he agrees for early elections to take place in December. “It is in line with my political stance,” he said.

Asked what led to making this decision, since before this Republicans were opposing the idea of holding elections in December, Vardapetyan said: “I will answer this question with a bit of humor – I made this decision without a hurry. I believe that politics isn’t a tongue twister, and now I am reiterating this decision.”

 A group of Members of Parliament, mostly from the Republican (HHK) faction, also former faction members-turned independent, have signed a petition endorsing PM Nikol Pashinyan’s stance on holding early elections of parliament in December. Lawmakers who signed the petition include Alik Sargsyan, a former national police chief, Artak Sargsyan, an businessman owning the SAS supermarket chain and Samvel Aleksanyan, an influential businessman owning the Yerevan City supermarket chain, and other companies.

Ashot Arsenyan, Independent, formerly from HHK faction

Alik Sargsyan, HHK faction

Artak Sargsyan. Independent, formerly from HHK

Arman Sahakyan, independent, formerly from HHK

Tatchat Vardapetyan, HHK faction

Hakob G. Hakobyan, HHK faction

Shirak Torosyan, independent, formerly from HHK

Knyaz Hasanov, HHK faction

Arsen Mikhaylov, HHK faction

Harutyun Karapoghosyan, HHK faction

Samvel Aleksanyan, independent, formerly from HHK

Nahapet Gevorgyan, HHK faction

Arayik Grigoryan, HHK action

Ishkhan Zakaryan, Tsarukyan faction

MP Shirak Torosyan confirmed to ARMENPRESS that the petition has been signed and stressed that he joined it upon learning about it. “I was informed that this kind of an initiative exists and I joined it,” he said.

He did not specify who initiated the petition.

An online media outlet posted a photo of the petition signed by the lawmakers. HHK faction MP Tatchat Vardapetyan confirmed its authenticity, confirming that he has signed it.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan