If the opposition truly believes that the elections were illegitimate, but goes to parliament, it turns out that it is de facto legitimizing them. Arpine Hovhannisyan

Both politically and legally, the opposition questions the legitimacy of the parliamentary elections, went to the Constitutional Court, etc., but says that they should take the mandates. Former Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Arpine Hovhannisyan said this on the air of the Public Television.

“Taking or not taking mandates is the most superficial part of this whole political conversation, deep down there is the issue of the absence of political logic. If the opposition really believes that the elections were illegitimate, and especially in connection with this story of the CEC’s decision on the votes of the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Constitutional Court’s refusal to schedule a rerun, they were really deprived of their mandates in a vulgar way, if they really think so, and I think so too, they go to parliament, and it turns out that they are de facto legitimizing the election results.

"When I say that you shouldn't take mandates, I'm not saying it's an end in itself. If you don't take a mandate, then behind it there should be public consolidation, support from international partners, a clear political agenda, and the ability to form pressure. In other words, the effectiveness of the opposition is measured not by speeches and statements, but by the ability to change the behavior of the government," he noted.