Commenting on the upcoming Yerevan municipal elections, Davit Harutyunyan, a Republican Party MP who chairs the National Assembly's Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, stated, "These elections are political elections. Those who claim they are not political have probably made such an observation based on a narrower conception of the issue." Speaking at a press conference held earlier today, Mr. Harutyunyan stated that the politics on a local government level essentially differed from internal and foreign policy, but that the elections were political nevertheless. He stated that the elections were a step forward in the democratization process. Mr. Harutyunyan noted that since the parties involved would be assuming a degree of accountability in each city district, its chances of getting representation in the parliament also increased. "We are essentially assisting in the development of the party structure, so that they work in a fashion that is more accountable. Any Republican Party member, if they assume responsibility for municipal affairs, will be forced to seriously consider how to carry out that responsibility in a satisfactory manner," Mr. Harutyunyan stated. He added that it was the first time that the municipal council had been given a much larger role to play and that each council member would be given the chance to act independently. "For example, council members will be able to make modifications to the budget. When more people are involved in the decision-making process, naturally this is democracy at work," Mr. Harutyunyan stated. The Republican Party MP noted that politics cannot remain a one party game forever. "It is no secret that the time finally arrives when a uni-polar set of politics starts to change. Such a model of local self-government offers the possibility of periodic change, especially when we take into account that an essential segment of our population resides in Yerevan. Yes, it can be a uni-polar political state of affairs, but it cannot remain so forever."