D. Harutyunyan: Opposition should have some supervisory powers

“The opposition should have some supervisory powers, even though I cannot say that it has no such powers now. The matter concerns the limits: these powers should be expended, but how much they will be expanded is a separate question which is already being discussed”, Minister – Chief of the Government Staff David Harutyunyan said during a briefing in the National Assembly today.

As regards the issue of giving supervisory levers to the opposition in specific structures, particularly in the Control Chamber, D. Harutyunyan said nothing can be ruled out theoretically and it is necessary to discuss whether they are prepared at the current stage or not. “We should study experience of other countries, mostly those which are now at the same stage of their parties’ establishment as we are. And we should follow the same logic,” he noted.

Harutyunyan stressed that his words are not accusations against the opposition. “The word ‘not full-fledged’ I have used applies equally to the political field and all the parties. It is no secret that our political field has not been fully established. This idea was expressed in the president’s speech as well,” he said.

Speaking about the idea voiced by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at the 15th congress of Republican Party of Armenia concerning the emergence of a bipolar political field, David Harutyunyan said that it does not necessary mean a bipartisan system and in this case the matter concerns two directions to be represented within the coalition’s framework, by a group of parties. And these groups of parties will be clearly visible.

“But it does not mean that a party cannot shift from one pole to the other,” D. Harutyunyan said.