In a National Assembly session, no MP participated in the vote on Alexander Sirunyan’s candidacy for a Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) member, according to the head of the Counting Commission, Narek Babayan.

Earlier, Hayk Konjoryan, head of the Civil Contract faction, announced that Sirunyan had decided to withdraw his candidacy.

Sirunyan’s candidacy had been nominated by the Civil Contract faction.

In a prior interview with http://Civic.am , lawyer Alexander Sirunyan stated that he voluntarily decided to withdraw his candidacy after discussions, taking into account certain observations in the conclusion of the Corruption Prevention Commission. He emphasized that proceeding with his candidacy under these circumstances could harm not only the judiciary’s reputation but also the public image of his party.

Alexander Sirunyan’s nomination as an SJC member by the Civil Contract faction faced controversy. Kristine Vardanyan, an MP from the Armenia faction, disclosed Sirunyan’s social media posts containing hate speech and offensive language. Sirunyan declined to comment on these posts, which included inappropriate and abusive remarks toward residents of Artsakh.

Sirunyan’s candidacy was criticized by civil society organizations, who argued that nominating a representative of the ruling party undermines the judiciary’s independence from legislative and executive branches.