Ruling party, opposition trade barbs over past alliances

PanARMENIAN.Net - A fierce exchange of mutual accusations unfolded in Armenia’s parliament between Gegam Manukyan of the Armenia bloc and Hayk Konjoryan of the ruling Civil Contract party.

Responding to prior criticism aimed at the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and its MPs, Manukyan declared in his speech that such attacks could not go unanswered. “Life is strange,” he said. “You fight all your life for justice, for Genocide recognition alongside ARF comrades, voice demands to Erdoğan, oppose reconciliation in the Turkish-Armenian commission, resist President Gül’s visit with the Dashnak ranks, go on hunger strike, be the only TV station to warn against ‘football diplomacy,’ report when the lights at Tsitsernakaberd were turned off, or when Mount Ararat was ‘mistakenly’ left off team jerseys—and now they accuse you of it all? Really?”

Manukyan pointed out that the accuser was not the Civil Contract faction leader or a founder of Bright Armenia but Hayk Konjoryan, who he claimed led the youth wing of the Liberal Democratic Union of Armenia (a pro-government youth organization) in 2010-2011, then seen as tied to oligarch Barsegh Beglaryan.

In response, Konjoryan ridiculed Manukyan, saying, “If Gegam Manukyan didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him just for these kinds of speeches.” Referring to Manukyan’s remarks about Mount Ararat being omitted from the national football kit, Konjoryan retorted, “You’ve diminished Ararat so much you say it was left off by mistake. So, who’s denying Ararat—us or you?”

He also mocked Manukyan’s alleged habit of smoking after speeches: “Apparently your speeches smoke you out.”

Konjoryan went on to accuse the ARF of historical contradictions: “I guess the ARF also entered coalition with the Young Turks by mistake? Then with the Republican Party, then left, and joined again—was everything just a misunderstanding?”

He ended by urging Manukyan to “say something smart next time.”