Yerevan, 25 May 2023

29 members of the Armenian National Platform, including 24 delegates from the Civil Society Forum were taking part in the Conference. 12 more delegates in accordance with the ANP’s accepted practice had transferred their votes to other members of the Conference. The Conference was chaired by ANP Coordinator Hovsep Khurshudyan.

In view of the lack of objections to the draft agenda made public five days earlier, the chairman proposed to approve it. Ashot Melikyan asked for the floor and made a proposal to prioritize the discussion of a no-confidence resolution against Hovsep Khurshudyan as the ANP Coordinator, as mentioned in the petition signed by 14 people. He also asked the Conference to authorize Sargis Harutyunyan to read out the named petition which was done.     

The chairman’s proposition was to first approve the agenda and later, among other things to discuss the format of deliberations on the petition requirements in order to determine whether the issue had to be discussed immediately or a special commission had to be set up which will investigate into the allegations mentioned in the document and the ANP Coordinator’s relevant responses. 

The motion to approve the previously draft agenda circulated earlier was rejected with only 18 votes in favor, 16 against, and 2 abstentions.

Then the motion to prioritize deliberations on a resolution of no-confidence in ANP Coordinator Hovsep Khurshudyan as per the requirement of the 14 signatory organizations of the named petition was brought to vote. This motion likewise was rejected, with 17 participants voting in favor, 16 against, and 3 abstentions․    

The next point brought to vote was a motion to include in the agenda a discussion on setting up a commission to investigate the allegations mentioned in the petition and ANP Coordinator’s responses to them. In favor of the motion voted only 7 participants, 12 were against and 15 people abstained, so it was declined.

Following that, the meeting participants voted on a proposal to hold another conference on 9 June which will discuss as a matter of priority the issues raised in the petition signed by 14 organizations. The motion was approved by 28 votes in favor, one vote against, and 7 abstentions.

The ANP Coordinator was mandated to provide clarifications before the next conference regarding the allegations mentioned in the petition.

With that, the Conference concluded its work. 

Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Armenian National Forum Secretariat