Opposition lawmakers' consultations with governing party reps fail in Armenian parliament
YEREVAN. March 4 (Interfax) - Parliamentary consultations on ways to overcome the postelection crisis in Armenia have failed, leader of the opposition Heritage party's parliamentary faction Ruben Akopyan told the media.
"The governing Republican Party turned down the agenda, proposed by the Heritage party and by the Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Revolutionary Federation in order to provide the groundwork for the parliament's extraordinary session. But it did not propose anything on its own," he told reporters on Monday.
The Republican Party rejected the opposition-proposed agenda as it had a provision demanding early parliamentary elections, he said.
"Now we must unite with other opposition factions in parliament and gather enough signatures to back the plan to hold an emergency session," Akopyan said.
The Heritage party and Dashnaktsutyun proposed reforms to Speaker Ovik Abraamian, which it said could be discussed at an emergency session.
The parliamentary opposition has been urging a deep reform of the Electoral Code and early parliamentary elections this year, plus a constitutional referendum in the coming two years on a switch to a parliamentary form of government.
The outcome of the February 18 presidential elections won by incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, have been challenged by two losers - Heritage leader Raffi Hovannisian and political scientist Andreas Ghukasyan.
