Galust Sahakyan, who heads the Republican Party of Armenia faction in the parliament, stated that the recent Yerevan municipal elections further strengthened the ruling coalition’s internal mechanisms. Mr. Sahakyan offered his views at a parliamentary news briefing today. He said that while the party always links local elections with the country's destiny as a whole and that it wouldn't affect the workings of the coalition. As to the view that the Heritage Party wishes to push aside HAK as the dominant opposition political force, Mr. Sahakyan said that, "Political debate must take place and that he considers it only natural." Regarding the U.S. State Department's annual report stating that last year's presidential elections in Armenia led to a political crisis, Mr. Sahakyan stated that he didn’t viewed it as a response by the U.S., but rather as an analysis. "In other words, they aren't evaluating specific elections but are attempting to present a political evaluation of internal government relations," Mr. Sahakyan said. He said the parliament would be able to study the legal ramifications of a general amnesty either at the end of June or the beginning of July.