Opposition representative challenges tycoon for TV debates

 March 26, 2012 - 15:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Representative of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak daily Nikol Pashinyan called out one of Armenia's biggest tycoons Samvel Alexanyan to hold TV debates.

Pashinyan is going to rival Alexanyan in the 7th majority constituency (in Yerevan's Malatia-Sebastia district) in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Alexanyan claims he is not an entrepreneur, “therefore, he is a political figure”, ANC member said mockingly.

“Let us hold TV debates to see what kind of political figure Samvel Alexanyan is. I challenge him for any format of TV debates so that the public can see the political team Serzh Sargsyan is heading for elections with, and the political figures he is going to engage in the country’s government,” Pashinyan said.

The opposition candidate said these TV debates will enjoy unprecedentedly high rating in view of the huge public interest to elections in this constituency.

Pashinyan also added that he addressed speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Samvel Nikoyan with regard to Alexanyan’s non-participation in parliamentary voting reminding that according to regulations, deputies may be deprived of their mandate in case they repeatedly miss the voting.

Pashinyan requests the speaker to specify the grounds on which Alexanyan still maintains his mandate, and to provide a relevant medical certificate in case he experiences some health problems.

On March 23, Hovannissian proposed a meeting with opposition forces to discuss cooperation at elections in majority constituencies. He said each majority constituency should have one opposition candidate, so that the opposition’s forces are not dispersed.

Heritage leader was going to rival notorious tycoon Samvel Alexanyan and another opposition figure Nikol Pashinyan in the 7th constituency.