Armenian PM slams ex-presidents for avoiding election debates with him

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a government hour in parliament that at least two former presidents nominated in the 2021 elections did not attend debates or participate in them.

"At least two former presidents were nominated in the 2021 elections, but they did not attend the debates or participate in them. I can say for myself that I am determined to take part in the next debates, and my invitation regarding the debates still stands," Pashinyan said, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

He criticised opposition figures for avoiding direct discussion with him: "On one hand, these people claim they have nothing to discuss with me, and on the other hand, as soon as they start speaking, within the first four seconds, everything they say turns into a discussion with me."

"Today, there are no opposition representatives at the government hour. During the budget discussion, the speakers are asked questions that fall under my authority. They talk about the investigative commission on the circumstances of the 44-day war, and in their interviews, they discuss the events of the war," the premier said.

Pashinyan also recalled his extensive prior engagement with the public, emphasising that the opposition overlooks his previous efforts: "It seems they have forgotten that I answered questions live for a full five hours. There isn’t a single issue that I didn’t address. It’s quite a clever trick—to think that after many years, people have probably forgotten, so they can just repeat the same thing. In reality, they are only speaking in this genre."

"They don’t actually say anything—they only discuss things with me. Everything they say is a discussion with me. I feel that people are somewhat dissatisfied that we keep responding to them. In fact, there is a need for these debates, and they will only end when they come and speak face-to-face, and the public finally receives answers to all questions in this format," he stressed.

Pashinyan also stressed that refusing to participate in debates is politically risky: "He noted that in established democratic systems, refusing to participate in debates essentially guarantees a major election defeat. 'After 2020, during the COVID pandemic, I gave online interviews. At that time, there was an uproar because I was not interacting with journalists. Let these people come to the journalistic environment and also answer questions as I do."

"Instead, these people invite certain individuals funded by them, who, on their orders, criticise the government and the ruling majority, and give interviews in front of them," the Prime Minister concluded.

By Khagan Isayev