Opposition In Armenia Plans To Convene Parliament Meeting To Lift Martial Law

Opposition in Armenia Plans to Convene Parliament Meeting to Lift Martial Law

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) Opposition lawmakers in the Armenian parliament are planning to convene an extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly on Thursday to discuss the issue of lifting martial law introduced in the country from September 27 due to the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The legislative body said an extraordinary meeting was convened at 07:00 a.m. GMT on lawmakers' initiative. Earlier, the opposition several times suggested urgently discussing the possibility of lifting martial law, but the ruling My Step faction boycotted the meeting of the parliamentary council, which was supposed to authorize the convening of a plenary session.

Later, the head of the Bright Armenia faction that initiated the discussion of the issue, Edmon Marukyan, said opposition lawmakers would try to achieve the holding of an extraordinary meeting without the permission of the council.

The lifting of martial law would allow the opposition to initiate the process of the prime minister's resignation and to hold protests without hindrance - this is prohibited during martial law. The opposition is seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, accusing him of signing an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is disadvantageous to the Armenian side.