Zaruhi Postanjian to be excluded from Armenian delegation to PACE

Member of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), deputy of the opposition Heritage faction of the Armenian parliament Ms. Zaruhi Postanjian will be excluded from the delegation.

“Taking into account the behavior of Armenian parliamentary deputy Zaruhi Postanjian at yesterday’s sitting of the PACE and based on the requirements of the Rules of Procedure of Armenia’s National Assembly, I state that I consulted with the parliamentary factions and I intend to make changes in the membership of the Armenian delegation to the PACE”, the speaker of Armenian parliament Hovik Abrahamian said at the parliament siting on Thursday.

“Expressing a political opinion is not an absolute right. Article 66 of the Armenian Constitution says that deputies may express their opinions, unless they contain defamation or insult. That is, this right is restricted when its exercise deviates from its real purpose – holding of free political debates. Besides, Article 21.6 of the PACE Rules of Procedure forbids use of expressions that insult human dignity, “the parliamentary speaker noted.

At the PACE session yesterday Zaruhi Postanjian asked the Armenian president with what money he paid 70 million euro that he lost in a European casino. For his part, the president said that allegation was ‘a figment of her imagination”. He noted that he has never been to a casino, nor does he have so much money.

“I have never been to a European casino. I never gamble in casinos. Unfortunately I have no opportunity to have 70 million euro. If I had such an opportunity, I would give you half of that sum so that you would be satisfied with your life and so much bile would not accumulate in you,” Serzh Sargsyan replied.