With 68 Armenian MP’s voting in favour, the “Emergency Situation Legal Regime” bill passed in parliament earlier today.

ARF and Heritage Party MP’s boycotted the vote in a sign of protest.

Heritage Party MP Armen Martirosyan told the parliament that public opinion was overlooked during the entire process.

ARF MP Vahan Hovhannisyan had also requested a twenty minute recess before the vote.

Once signed into law, the bill will allow for the intervention of the army when a state of emergency is declared by the president.

Opposition MPs say they would like to challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court but need 27 MP’s to back the move, which is considered unlikely.

The ARF holds 16 seats in the RA National Assembly and Heritage, 7.