Opposition Member Aram Vardevanyan Elected Deputy Speaker of Armenia's National Assembly

Aram Vardevanyan, representing the "Strong Armenia" alliance, has been elected as a deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament. His candidacy also received backing from the "Armenia" alliance, led by former President Robert Kocharyan, which is the other opposition faction represented in the new legislature.

Voting Process and the Ruling Majority's Stance

The ruling "Civil Contract" party, which holds 64 of the 105 seats in the National Assembly, kept its voting intentions unclear until the very last moment. On Friday, dozens of lawmakers heavily questioned Vardevanyan regarding his political views and past activities. However, right before the vote, faction leader Arusyak Manavazyan announced that the ruling party would provide the necessary votes to secure his election.

Legal Background and Ongoing Concerns

The 36-year-old lawyer was previously elected to parliament in 2021 on the "Armenia" alliance ticket, though he later stepped down and renounced his mandate. Over the past year, he has served on the legal team of "Strong Armenia" leader Samvel Karapetyan and has defended various opposition figures facing prosecution by the authorities. According to azatutyun.am, Vardevanyan highlighted on Friday that the country currently has an "unprecedented" number of political prisoners.

Speaking to journalists after his election, Vardevanyan anticipated upcoming "difficulties" in his new role, as reported by azatutyun.am. He speculated that National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan would likely prevent him from chairing parliamentary sessions. Rubinyan and the other two deputy speakers all represent the ruling "Civil Contract" party, and opposition lawmakers notably did not vote for their appointments.

Election Results and Committee Leadership

Both opposition factions have outright rejected the official results of the June 7 parliamentary elections, alleging widespread fraud. Despite public calls for them to surrender their mandates, opposition leaders opted against boycotting the National Assembly. Instead, they plan to combine their legislative work with street protests directed against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Moving forward, the opposition has also decided to nominate candidates to chair four of the parliament's 12 standing committees. On Monday, the "Civil Contract" party hinted that it would not block these opposition appointments, although the ruling faction intends to retain leadership over the most crucial legislative committees.