The Turn of the Ruling Party to Bang on Tables in Parliament After the 'Catholicos' Mention

A tense and noisy situation arose in the National Assembly over the terms 'Catholicos' and 'Ktrich Nersisyan'. During the address of opposition MP Kristine Vardanyan, when she uttered the word 'Catholicos', MPs from the ruling Civil Contract party began to bang on their tables, effectively mimicking the behavior of the opposition from the previous day.

Vardanyan, noticing the reaction, continued with the same terminology, reiterating that the issue concerning 'the Catholicos' was being discussed. Meanwhile, the Civil Contract MPs continued to bang on the tables, while opposition MPs began to applaud.

This situation followed an incident from the previous day's session in the Assembly, where Civil Contract MPs referred to the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians Karekin II as 'Ktrich Nersisyan', to which the opposition responded by banging on their tables.

At that time, National Assembly President Ruben Rubinyan had warned that if such behavior were repeated, the ruling party would respond in kind.

Today, this warning was effectively realized: after the mention of 'Catholicos' by the opposition MP, the ruling party members began to bang on their tables, while the opposition responded with applause. Rubinyan commented, 'If that's how you want it, it will be like that.'

He was forced to intervene and call on the MPs to cease the situation, noting that they must remain within the bounds of decorum.

It is noteworthy that the issue being discussed was actually the nomination/election of Arusyak Julhakyan for the position of head of the permanent committee, but the discussion gradually shifted to other planes: the speeches revolved not around the committee’s work or the candidate, but around the terms 'Catholicos' and 'Ktrich Nersisyan'.

A peculiar mechanism of 'mutual boycott' has emerged between the two sides in the parliament: 'Ktrich Nersisyan' leads to bangs on the opposition's tables, while 'Catholicos' prompts bangs on the ruling party's tables.