A verbal dispute between the ruling Civil Contract Party and opposition lawmakers in the Armenian National Assembly quickly escalated into a physical fight. The parliamentary leadership suspended the session due to the scuffle that began in front of the podium in the General Assembly hall.
Tensions rose during a speech by Civil Contract Party lawmaker Taron Chakhoyan in the General Assembly. Following Chakhoyan's use of insulting language toward the opposition, a heated argument broke out between him and Narek Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia group.
As the argument intensified, opposition lawmakers moved toward the parliamentary podium. During the shoving match between representatives of the ruling party and the opposition, one lawmaker fell to the floor.
As the tension in the General Assembly hall did not subside, security personnel intervened to separate the parties. With the tension continuing in the corridors, officials established a security line between the ruling and opposition lawmakers to prevent further fighting.
A similar incident occurred in the Armenian Parliament at the beginning of October. That event had erupted after Edgar Ghazaryan of the Strong Armenia group accused Civil Contract Party lawmaker Ruben Rubinyan of the improper use of public resources.
News Source: 12punto
