Within the framework of “Women in the Legislative” series Iravaban.net spoke with Ms Kristine Vardanyan, a member of the “Armenia” faction of the National Assembly of the 8th convocation, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

The deputy is a member of the ARF Since 2018, before that she was a member of the Central Board of the Youth Union of the ARF of Armenia.

– Ms Vardanyan, you graduated from YSU Faculty of International Relations, now you are a member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. The Committee convened 2 sittings and made 2 decisions during the whole National Assembly of the 8th convocation: one about the work schedule, the other about creating a friendship group. It seemed that after the war, foreign relations should be a priority. Why is the Committee passive?

– Unfortunately, it is the most passive committee of the National Assembly. Maybe I will edit myself here as well. I do not know, unfortunately or fortunately. In this period of security crisis, we do not have a parliament that has an idea of how to get out of that crisis. We do not have people who want to take responsibility and be proactive. It is, of course, about the majority. According to the published election results, the opposition did not get enough votes to be able to effectively control and take preventive steps. Our role here is different.

Those in the Committee do not imagine that they can use the control tools in any way, they are given to the whim of the Government. I am sure they will eventually face the fact..

The last session was convened on our initiative, it was about demarcation and delimitation. They came to the closed session with dissatisfied faces. It was even said twice at the sitting that we are here, we have been discussing for 2 hours. It was a problem for people. Can you imagine what a difficult thing they did? They came to the sitting and discussed one of the most important agendas of Armenia.

I think it is clear for everyone that it will not be resolved in the National Assembly, they know that and go on a “whim”.

– Watching the NA sittings, one gets the impression that the deputies of the government and the opposition have a great dislike for each other. What is the situation during working contacts?

– “Dislike” is a very mild word. I cannot hate anyone, I have not been able to for so long, but I hold those people responsible for the current situation in Armenia, the loss of the homeland, the death of thousands of people, endangering my own security in my country. When I look at those people, I feel threatened for my existence, my family, my loved ones, my people, the existence of my kind. I consider these people a danger, a threat to my existence in this region. Consequently, my steps, my personal contacts are already conditioned that way.

– You became a member of the ARF in 2018, before that you were a member of the Youth Union. Why in 2018?

– Dashnaktsutyun was very close to my historically, that is why I came to the Youth Union, but at that moment I did not want to be a party member. I have asked to myself all the questions in which I blame the ARF, from the day of its creation to the Genocide, the First Republic, our activities in the Soviet period, the ban on the party in Armenia, political coalitions. I asked myself all the questions and found the answers.

– There were people around you, among your friends, who participated in the events of 2018. What was your attitude towards them?

– There were, of course there were, even quite close people had shown support. The topic of conversation was the same. I tried to explain my point of view without violating their right to exist. I am not so detached from my country so that I can reject the view that Armenia is a country with many problems. But I was against the fact that we think we are from Central European countries and have no security issues. That was the essential and cornerstone difference in thinking.

– How will 2018 be evaluated in history textbooks in 30 years?

– Depending on what we will do now, will we be able to have an Armenian state or not? If we close the page of the nominal existence of our state, 2018 will remain as the beginning of the end. If we can overcome this situation, 2018 may not remain or it may remain as a period. A change took place, the government came, the government lost, 2 years later it left, a new government came, and the state continued its existence.

Details in the video