VIDEO: No one has remained untouched by the war... the worst thing is competing over casualties - Rubinyan to opposition MP

The Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Ruben Rubinyan, urged opposition 'Armenia' Alliance MP Aregnaz Manukyan to apologize to those MPs who lost relatives in the 44-day war for asserting that among the casualties there were no children, friends, or relatives of officials.

Aregnaz Manukyan accused the authorities of failing to provide accurate numbers for the most critical data ten months after the war, including casualties, missing persons, prisoners, the wounded, and disabled individuals. “In 44 days we had almost as many casualties as in the years of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, but among those thousands of casualties, wounded, and prisoners, there wasn’t a single person connected to representatives of the declared revolutionary and popular government. It is noteworthy that among nearly 5000 casualties, there is not a single son of an acting official, a distant relative, or a friend…,” he said, adding that he does not wish death upon anyone unless they are enemies attacking Armenia and Artsakh.

Rubinyan, as the presiding officer of the session, delivered an extraordinary speech in response to Manukyan's remarks. “The member of the CPP, Hakob Aslanyan, who is not in the hall right now, participated in the 44-day war and was wounded; the cousin of MP Vagharshak Hakobyan died in the war, and the nephew of Matevos Asatryan also fell,” said Rubinyan, adding that he only speaks of those he is aware of. He asked Manukyan if he tries to understand how the MPs felt during his speech.

Rubinyan requested Manukyan to privately approach these individuals and apologize. “I believe the worst thing we can do now is to compete over casualties. That would simply be disgraceful. The scale of the war that took place has not passed by anyone; no one has remained untouched; everyone has relatives and friends. If there is something we cannot share, it is those who selflessly fought for the homeland and those who fell in defense of the homeland. And eternal glory to Gegham Nazaryan's son, Vagharshak Hakobyan's cousin, Matevos Asatryan's nephew, and to all other relatives and friends present who fell. My respect to Mr. Aslanyan, who fought for the homeland, my respect to Mr. Seyran Ohanyan, who was wounded in the first war and lost his leg,” said Rubinyan, urging the MP not to engage in such actions again.