Armenian expert criticizes appointment of ex-opposition MP to regulatory body

Armenian opposition parties have drawn criticism after backing the appointment of a former lawmaker to a state regulatory body, a move civil society representatives say undermines their credibility in challenging the government.

Tadevos Avetisyan, a former MP from the opposition Hayastan faction, was elected by the parliament as a member of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission with 83 votes in favor. His candidacy had been jointly nominated by the two parliamentary opposition factions.

In an interview to Panorama.am on Wednesday, Babken Pipoyan, head of the Informed and Protected Consumer NGO, said the appointment raises institutional concerns despite Avetisyan’s professional qualifications and experience in both executive and legislative branches.

“On an individual level, there is no issue,” Pipoyan said. “However, at the institutional level, we face a problem.”

He argued that opposition parties, which frequently criticize the government for politicizing independent bodies, are now acting inconsistently by promoting politically affiliated candidates themselves.

According to Pipoyan, such actions weaken the opposition’s standing to criticize similar decisions by the authorities. “They no longer have the legitimate right to challenge the government over mistakes they are now repeating,” he said.

He added that ruling party lawmakers likely supported Avetisyan not only based on his credentials but also to retroactively justify their own previous appointments.

Pipoyan suggested that the opposition could have instead nominated a non-partisan economist from academia or civil society, capable of acting independently.

He also said he would have declined any such nomination himself, emphasizing that moving figures from the public sector into state roles risks weakening independent oversight.

Of Armenia’s 107 lawmakers, 85 participated in the vote, with two ballots declared invalid.