No Condolences, Not a Single Word: Manukyan

Geham Manukyan, a member of the 'Hayastan' faction in the National Assembly, posted on Facebook stating: 'After public pressure, Pashinyan was forced to declare a day of mourning in the Republic of Armenia. However, he has not offered any official condolences, nor has he said a single word. He has merely signed a brief decree with the following content: 'Guided by Article 7, Part 5 of the Law on the Structure and Activities of the Government, 1. In memory of the citizens who perished in the fire and explosion that occurred on August 14, 2022, at the 'Yerevan Canning Factory' CJSC, declare a day of mourning in the Republic of Armenia from August 17-18, 2022.' And that's it. There are no further words explaining what this implies – will flags be flown at half-mast, will there be changes in television broadcasts, will entertainment venues be closed? There is no clear regulation in place.

Is there not a sensible individual in that government who could have advised to add a few points to ensure that the mourning is observed appropriately? They should learn from the leaders of other countries. Even from the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, which has also declared mourning in the second Armenian Republic.

Or at least they could have borrowed from the two decrees previously signed by Nikol, adding a second point with the content: 'Instruct the heads of the bodies of the state administration of the Republic of Armenia and suggest to the heads of communities to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4 of the Law on the Flag of the Republic of Armenia.' They should reference Clause 4 of Article 9 of the Law on Audiovisual Media of Armenia to regulate television broadcasts as well. There is absolutely no legislative regulation regarding entertainment venues.

Okay, you cannot carry out urgent, practical work, you cannot coordinate rescue efforts; at the very least, you should be able to organize what you love doing – presenting – properly,' Manukyan wrote.