ARF: Designation of January 27 as Remembrance and Sorrow Day is an  attempt to eclipse Army Day

ArmInfo. The government's decision to establish January 27 as Remembrance and Sorrow Day for those who died for the Motherland, just one day before Army Day, is an attempt by the Armenian authorities to eclipse the significance of the Armenian Army's formation, as noted in a statement issued by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. The statement follows the opposition "Armenia" bloc's refusal to vote in favor of the initiative.

"No Armenian can be against establishing a unified day of remembrance for those fallen for the Motherland," the party emphasized. According to the ARF, the party proposed several alternative symbolic dates during parliamentary discussions to honor the fallen. However, they stated that "the Armenian authorities, as always, did not listen to a single proposal and discussed exclusively the January 27 option."

Earlier, the co-author of the legislative initiative, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan, announced on his Facebook page that the National Assembly of Armenia had approved the bill establishing January 27 as the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow for those who died for the Motherland. He also noted that, at their request, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan will sign the law as soon as possible to ensure it will enter into force in 2026, as January 27 of this year has already been declared a non-working day. Opposition political forces and experts are perplexed by the date chosen by the Armenian authorities to commemorate the sons of the Armenian people who gave their lives for their homeland. The opposition has yet to receive a clear explanation from the authorities regarding the chosen date.