Armenian press claims PM’s wife handpicks loyalists for election list

Several weeks ago, it was reported that the pre-election list of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party was effectively being shaped by the wife of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Anna Hakobyan, in much the same way as during previous parliamentary elections.

According to Caliber.Az, this claim has now been reiterated by the Yerevan daily Hraparak, which writes that the upcoming candidate list is expected to include a substantial number of individuals drawn directly from Hakobyan’s personal circle.

The newspaper reports that a significant portion of the list will consist of her close friends, protégées, and former employees. These candidates are described as women who are largely unfamiliar to the wider public but who are personally loyal to Anna Hakobyan.

Hraparak notes that this approach has been met with strong disapproval within Civil Contract itself. According to the paper, there is already limited goodwill toward the prime minister’s wife inside the party, and the prospect of promoting her close associates to parliamentary seats has intensified internal dissatisfaction.

Party members are quoted as complaining that individuals they describe disparagingly as “girls with inflated lips and Botox” are being prepared for entry into parliament, a development that, the newspaper says, has been perceived extremely negatively within party ranks.

By Tamilla Hasanova