Artsvik Minasyan, secretary of the opposition Hayastan faction, stated during a press briefing in parliament that his faction expects the impeachment process against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to proceed quickly and within a reasonable timeframe. He expressed hope that their colleagues in the I Have Honor faction would soon initiate the process.
“Our colleagues have long claimed that the necessary groundwork is in place, including some MPs from the ruling party willing to support impeachment. The opposition must act in unison. We said three months ago, and say again now, that the signatures are there and have been handed over to ‘I Have Honor’ during the hearings,” Minasyan told Pastinfo.am.
He added that expressing no confidence in the prime minister is not the only method the opposition is using. Other tools have already been activated through various movements and actions.
“One such tool is applying public pressure on other institutions to prompt them to act. This includes the prosecutor general and government members authorized to document Pashinyan’s inaction or incapacity, suspend his powers, and initiate criminal proceedings for serious or especially serious offenses. These bodies can effectively remove him from office,” he said.
Minasyan emphasized the need for broad public, civil, and political engagement to exert pressure on the authorities and prompt change.
He also drew attention to what he described as increasing repression against the opposition, accusing the government of intensifying surveillance and political persecution.
“We see repression intensifying daily. On one hand, Pashinyan tells people to rise up and start a revolution. On the other, even minor acts of civil disobedience are met with force. Anyone who disagrees with the government faces prosecution. There are clear signs of state-sponsored political terror against the opposition,” Minasyan concluded.
The Hayastan faction has submitted its MPs’ signatures to I Have Honor in support of the impeachment motion. A minimum of 36 MPs must sign to present a no-confidence motion. Combined, the two opposition factions hold 34 seats, meaning at least 20 ruling-party MPs would need to join for the measure to pass.
