YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Parliamentary groups and factions held briefings Thursday. It became clear that the groups and factions have different opinions of the issue of setting up an interim committee for preparing President Robert Kocharian’s impeachment procedure. The issue was raised by deputy David Shahnazarian at the end of the parliamentary meeting on February 17.
Speaking on behalf of the Social Democratic Union faction–Nerses Zeynalvadian avoided giving a definite answer pointing out that the proposal by Shahnazarian only suggests setting up the afore-mentioned committee and doesn’t present any grounds for passing a vote of no-confidence to the president.
Leader of the "Yerkrapah" deputy group Albert Bazeyan repeated his previous statement–saying that in the current strained situation in Armenia the group considers it inadvisable that this situation should be exacerbated and doesn’t support the initiative.
Leader of the "Reforms" group Armen Martirossian believes that while raising the issue David Shahnazarian was aware of its certain failure and only wanted to kick up a row. Martirossian stated that by raising the issue Shahnazarian sets himself a serious political task which has nothing to do with Siradeghian’s case. He didn’t rule out the possibility that after Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s resignation his relatives (David Shahnazarian is father of Ter-Petrosyan’s daughter-in-law) are trying to demonstrate to the public that the OSCE Minsk Group’s proposals on the Karabakh settlement presented to Robert Kocharian are not different from those presented to Ter-Petrosyan. Not only some forces inside the country–but also those outside are interested in Kocharian’s being weak. Armenia’s national interests run contrary with those of the above-mentioned forces.
Mkrtich Gimishian stated on behalf of the "Hayrenik" group that he supports the initiative on the impeachment but had some difficulty in forecasting its results.
The member of the "CPA" faction–Gagik Tadevossian said that issues like that can’t be "immediately" settled.
Shavarsh Kocharian–member of the National Democratic Union faction believes raising the issue of impeachment to be legally right (the president has violated the Constitution). But–according to him–currently it may be regarded as an attempt of revenge.