Armenia’s ruling “Civil Contract” faction in the National Assembly voted against a motion submitted by the opposition “I Have Honor” faction titled “On the national crisis and governance failure.”
As a result, the motion was not included in the parliament’s plenary session agenda. Prior to the vote, the draft had received a negative assessment from the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. According to Sputnik Armenia, the vote resulted in 48 votes against, 24 in favor, and 2 abstentions.
The opposition had organized parliamentary hearings on September 16 devoted to the motion's theme. The draft text emphasized that “the actions of the current leadership have led to a systemic crisis in state governance at all levels. This policy has had disastrous consequences for national security, state sovereignty, democracy, the socio-economic sphere, and all aspects of national life, creating serious problems for the Republic of Armenia and even threatening the country’s future.”
The motion was introduced in parliament by faction leader Hayk Mamijanyan. He stated that the removal of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is urgently necessary, and that “the only instrument is impeachment.”
Mamijanyan further stated: “The driving force of impeachment — the most important condition for success — is broad public unity through street struggle. On June 7, when this process began, six MPs had signed the form. By October 8, there were already 34 signatures under the finalized version.”
During the State-Legal Committee discussions, Mamijanyan clarified that the statement is “not an impeachment process, but a declaration documenting internal political and security issues.” The impeachment process, he added, is proceeding on its own track.
He also said: “I have held discussions with Hovik Aghazaryan and Hakob Aslanyan, and they said they will not obstruct the impeachment process.”
However, Hovik Aghazaryan, who had left the Civil Contract faction, stated that he and Hakob Aslanyan would vote to abstain. Meanwhile, the ruling party labeled the motion “stillborn,” stressing their intention to vote against it.
“Armenia” faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan reaffirmed their faction’s support for the document.
Civil Contract MP Vladimir Vardanyan, who served as a co-reporter, noted that the motion was based on the hearings held and that it “contained politically contradictory arguments linked, in their view, to current political problems in the country, coupled with the process of expressing no confidence in the government.”
He emphasized that the process of declaring no confidence is regulated not by statements but by the presence of formal applications. Even such applications, he added, are not by themselves sufficient to express no confidence in the government.
