Kurdish man wins seat in Armenian parliament

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A Kurd was elected for the Armenian Parliament after winning a seat in the country’s 2017 elections.

Kinary Hassanov, a Kurd from Armenia as part of the ruling Republic Party has won a seat in the Armenian parliamentary elections, stating that he would put efforts to serve Kurdish people in the country.

President Serzh Sarksyan's ruling Republican Party won elections in Armenia on April 2, laying the foundation for a new parliamentary system of government, Reuters reported.

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) had won 49.12 percent of the votes while the opposition Tsarukyan Alliance gathered 27.32 percent of the votes.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, Hassanov thanked Kurds and Armenians for their support in the elections, stating that he would work on implementing his programs and would serve people of Armenia, particularly the Kurds.

Hassanov in a previous interview with Kurdistan24 said that because Kurdish and Assyrian nations were minorities in the country, they could not break the legal barriers and make into the parliament, but now the electoral law has changed.

Hassanov added that now the rights of minorities are respected where minority groups are allowed to join the political parties and run for the parliament or they can nominate individuals.

The Kurds in Armenia mainly live in the western parts of Armenia and according to a 2011 census, more than 37,000 Kurds live in Armenia.

The parliamentary election was Armenia’s first election under a new constitution which was approved in late 2015 referendum, allowing the parliament to elect the president for the first time in 2018, instead of electing president directly by the voters.

Editing by Ava Homa