Atmosphere of Distrust towards Vladimir Vardanyan Forming in 'My Step'

'Hraparak' reports that an atmosphere of distrust has developed towards Vladimir Vardanyan, a former Constitutional Court employee and current MP, within the 'My Step' faction. It is believed that Vardanyan has sufficient potential and could have presented their actions regarding the Constitutional Court in a way that would have minimized criticism of the authorities. Speculations are circulating about why he has not done so.

Vardanyan is considered a 'protégé' of Ararat Mirzoyan, and some are drawing far-reaching conclusions from his actions, suggesting that Mirzoyan is advancing his political interests through his closest associates. It is noteworthy that Vardanyan voted against the proposal to merge the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation to create a Supreme Court model, unlike other representatives of the authorities and even his faction colleague Vahagn Hovakimyan.

Yesterday, Vardanyan's proposal sparked intense discussions in the Legal and State Affairs Committee. The committee was discussing a draft amendment to the National Assembly's rules authored by ruling party MP Suren Grigoryan, which proposes to grant the Speaker of the National Assembly the authority to appoint members to the Anti-Corruption Commission. There is a vacant position in that commission, and forming a competitive council to fill it is currently impossible because, according to legislative stipulations, the last representative must be appointed with the agreement of the factions.

As a result, no decision could be reached. Before the break, this draft was discussed in parliament, receiving criticism from the opposition, which accused the Speaker of expanding his powers. Minutes before the vote on the draft in the committee, Vardanyan announced that he had an alternative proposal—that the appointments not be made by the Speaker, but rather elected by the board of the National Assembly, which also includes representatives from the opposition. The author of the draft was taken aback by the proposal and sought to understand whether it posed any constitutional issues. Ultimately, they decided to postpone the vote on the draft and further examine the matter. It is clear that Mirzoyan does not want to become a target of criticism at this stage.