ARMENIA: PARLIAMENTARY ABSENTEEISM STALLS ARTICLE

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000244 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR T AND EUR/CACEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM AM SUBJECT: ARMENIA: PARLIAMENTARY ABSENTEEISM STALLS ARTICLE 98 RATIFICATION ¶1. Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Treat Accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Despite GOAM assurances that ratification by the National Assembly was "locked in," the Armenian parliament failed on February 9 to ratify its bilateral Article 98 agreement with the USG. Member absenteeism and the opposition boycott prevented ratification. With 26 opposition MPs continuing their boycott and Parliament Speaker Baghdasarian abroad with a sizeable delegation, the parliament could not assemble 66 members for the fifty-percent quorum requirement. The measure will be taken up again at the next parliamentary session, scheduled for February 28. GODFREY