Amid continuing antigovernment protests in Yerevan, the Armenian opposition moved on Monday to force an emergency parliament debate on its demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his cabinet.
The opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances petitioned the leadership of the National Assembly to convene such a session as protesters led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan occupied a section of the city’s Marshal Bagramian Avenue adjacent to the parliament building.
They set up a tent camp there early in the morning after security forces prevented them from marching through another street located closer to the building.
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The opposition lawmakers want the parliament to debate and approve by June 17 a resolution saying that Pashinyan’s government must quit because it “has failed the defense, security and territorial integrity” of Armenia, left the country’s sovereignty “under immediate threat” and must be replaced by experienced professionals trusted by the public.
Hayastan’s Artsvik Minasian stressed that the proposed measure is not a vote of no confidence in the government which was demanded by Galstanian at the start of his month-long campaign for regime change.
Speaker Alen Simonian made clear that the parliament leadership dominated by pro-government lawmakers will reject the initiative. Simonian insisted that Pashinyan and his political team still enjoy popular backing.
The parliamentary statutes stipulate that an emergency session must take place if it is demanded by at least 27 members of the 107-seat legislature. Hayastan and Pativ Unem collected 33 signatures in support of the debate, meaning that it has to be scheduled for June 17 at the latest.
However, the parliamentary majority can scuttle the debate by boycotting it and preventing the National Assembly from making a quorum.