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“Vardazaryan has thrown a glove to today’s legal authorities, instead of being engaged in establishing judicial system. Vardazaryan has also thrown a glove to the independent judicial system and especially to the honest and conscientious judges of the system, endangering their independence and greatly harming their professional authority, Eventually, Vardazaryan, as Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), to my assessment, has covered the possibilities of further tenure:” Heriknaz Tigranyan

“Mr Vardazaryan has confused the place of his being. Unlike most of the people, we have not been appointed to the post with hands in blood, the RA citizens’ voice is summed in this hall. A murder attempt has been committed against the NA President at night of November 9, and until now there is no detained person. The SJC Chairman says he is not aware of that. We say that everything has happened live. He says I am not familiar with the details of the case. If the whole country is a aware of that, you are not aware of that, a question arises, then the SJC Chairman of which country are you?

Some of your masters have not forgiven us the year 2018, have not forgiven the revolution, as they have already been lined up on the dusty drawers for three years. Some judges have not forgiven us the year 2018. The power will not be the silent warrant of the collapsing justice. Ruben Vardazaryan is the ghost of the harmful past at present. The call sounded on November 15 was against the Republic of Armenia. Ruben Vardazaryan announced war to the RA citizens:” Aren Mkrtchyan

“For three days you speak about a person, and we have been against his electing from the beginning. Now, that person does not serve your interests, and you say we are right, he is wrong. I know Mkrtchyan and Haykyants long ago, and I can say that the two candidates will unequivocally strengthen the judicial power with their professional qualities and moral, human characteristics:” Taron Simonyan

“We expect from the judges that they will restore the damaged trust through word and behavior:” Maria Karapetyan

“The statement made by the SJC Chairman was a concrete political word and could not be perceived as an innocent text. He also noted a very important thing: he didn’t write the call by the influence of the moment. And I am sure that after writing that call his friends helped him. The friends, who direct, help, give advice, the people, who are in the street today…” Arpi Davoyan

“Why did the events of 2018 take place in this country? Those changes happened, first of all, for the establishment of the very justice and the restoration of the justice. Let us accept that after 2,5-3 years we completely did not succeed to reach that process to its logical end:” Vagharshak Hakobyan

“It is remarkable that the mass media serving the former authorities have got to protect Vardazaryan today. And it is natural that his all friends are in Baghramyan Avenue. And he has been appointed by Vanetsyan’s proposal. Yesterday I saw horrible photos: there were snipers in the NA. I have not noticed – here we were taking part in Q & A session. Afterwards I recalled that on October 27, there was Q & A with the Government, and in fact, many players on October 27 are the same men. Most of them are witnesses on that case. What is remarkable of the 99 and today’s events: as the target of October 27 were not either Vazgen Sargsyan and or Karen Demirchyan, so today the target is not Nikol Pashinyan, but the people’s power. And here, the judicial power should take under its protection the democracy. And we should not try to protect our democracy from our judicial system:” Arman Babajanyan

“They say, Vardazaryan is the third at the scale of the richest judges. I am sure that during the last three years he has not accumulated the wealth. He has that “richest” call until the appointment. We should exclude with our established values such phenomena, but we have closed an eye and we have appointed him. As a result, we have been cheated:” Sofia Hovsepyan

“I have been inspired by the speech made yesterday by the SJC Chairman working until now, where among many lies, I have distinguished two of them. Ruben Vardazaryan has noted he does not understand anything about politics: lie number one. And he has noted that he will not in politics: lie number two. He is rather in good command of political various agilities, intrigues, and he is already in politics. Though the statement was presented on his behalf, but with the photo and website of the SJC building. Therefore, I announce Ruben Vardazaryan an opposition politician:” Mkhitar Hayrapetyan

“The SJC Acting Chairman Ruben Vardazaryan was not nominated by My Step Faction and could not be nominated. He was not nominated by either the parliamentary opposition or by the Government. The judges are nominated by the judicial power, and the Judges’ General Assembly elects him. Unfortunately, the SJC Speaker’s clarifications were not only sufficient and exhaustive, but they reaffirmed our concerns that Vardazaryan’s statements were premeditated and political. Taking into consideration our assessment on Vardazaryan’s activity, as well as the fact that Mr Vardazaryan showed evident dishonoured attitude towards the legitimate National Assembly, the mandate with prior mandate, today My Step Faction will not elect the presented candidates. And with this step the Faction will express its position not on the candidates, but on the activity and statements of the very Mr Vardazaryan as the SJC Chairman. Our position is also strengthened with one other circumstance. We have reached there that the persons relating to the criminal sub-culture establish mediated communication with the NA deputies for the defense of the SJC Chairman Ruben Vardazaryan:” Head of My Step Faction Lilit Makunts

In his speech the candidate for the judge of the Court of Cassation Armen Haykyants noted: “Concerns were raised, and the MPs and the representatives of the judicial power accepted them. There were stormy speeches at high tense level. However, it was a creative tension between the state power branches, and testifies to the fact that there is no subordination and superiority towards each other. The criticism sounding here are constructive.”

“Dear deputies, the judicial power is not in tragic state. Of course, we should take practical steps for keeping our authority high.” The candidate for the judge of the Court of Cassation Arsen Mkrtchyan said in his final speech. As a representative of judicial power Mkrtchyan has highlighted the open and transparent debate which is an expensive value in the terms of principle of democracy and power division. According to the candidate, it should be and it is the main basis which will make going forward.