Opposition member Aghvan Vardanyan to take parliament seat

Armenian opposition member Aghvan Vardanyan has announced plans to take up his parliament seat after weeks of speculation over whether he would decline the seat.

In a social media post on Friday, Vardanyan, a candidate from the opposition Hayastan bloc, said that he had faced calls urging him not to enter parliament but would not heed them.

“My duty now is to stand with the team, especially alongside Ishkhan Saghatelyan and Narek Karapetyan,” he said, adding that his absence could create difficulties for the faction.

The Hayastan bloc, led by former President Robert Kocharyan, finished third in the June 7 parliamentary elections.