Armenian parliament disrupts as PM's faction blocks session on government resignation

Armenia's parliamentary proceedings were thrown into disarray as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract faction deliberately abstained from attending a crucial session aimed at discussing the opposition's motion for the government's resignation.

The session, which was intended to adopt a legislative message advocating for the resignation of the government, faced a setback as insufficient MPs from Pashinyan's faction participated, TASS reports.

According to local TV channels broadcasting the event live, Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan confirmed that only 34 MPs were present, falling short of the required quorum of 54 members out of the total 107-member parliament.

Simonyan announced that a 4-hour window was provided to gather the necessary votes to reach quorum and resume the session.

Pashinyan's faction holds a significant majority with 71 mandates in parliament, prompting allegations from the opposition of intentional obstruction to prevent discussions on the government's future.