YEREVAN (Yerkir)–"Political negotiations are entering their final stage and will result in the formation of a political coalition," ARF Armenia Supreme Body representative Armen Rustamian told Yerkir on Tuesday. "And this involves both the National Assembly and the Government."
A memorandum to form a coalition will be signed by three parties–the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)–the Orinats Yerkir Party–and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).
"This will create quite an original political situation; nothing like this has been done before," Rustamian said. "The parties signing the memorandum have to first of all establish the rules of the game when coordinating activities in the National Assembly and forming the Government."
Rustamian added that the parties engaged in the coalition will implement a joint program based not only on the President’s program–but also the coalition’s enhancemen’s.
The coalition will assume collective responsibility in addition to those areas they respectively lead–and will be considered formed only after the three parties sign the memorandum; "There will–otherwise–be no coalition," Rustamian added.
"The priorities of the coalition government will include constitutional reforms–amending the electoral system–aimed at increasing the role of political parties–the adoption of a strong social policy and antitrust policy–and the fight against the shadow economy," concluded Rustamian.
In the coalition government–it appears that the ARF will run the ministries of social security and health as well as the northwestern Aragatsotn and Shirak provinces–and will likely assume positions of deputy speaker and the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the new parliament.
