Ex-Armenian president calls for no-confidence vote against government

Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said that changing the government remains a priority, and the most effective way to do so is through a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

"The question of a change of power has always been and remains on our agenda. The most correct and optimal way to achieve this is by expressing no confidence in the prime minister," he said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"Yesterday, two major events happened in the world — in Nepal and France. There are two ways to 'oust' or impeach a government that does not enjoy the trust of the people. One way happened in Nepal — through violence and killings, and the other in France — through parliament," Sargsyan said.

Sargsyan’s remarks come as Armenia grapples with deepening political divisions, fueled by dissatisfaction over Pashinyan’s handling of the now-resolved Karabakh conflict, his pivot toward Western alliances, and a recent U.S.-brokered peace deal with Azerbaijan.

Referencing global events, Sargsyan pointed to the September 8–9 unrest in Nepal—where protests over a social media ban led to 19 deaths, arson of government buildings, and mass prison breaks of over 7,557 inmates—and France’s parliamentary ousting of Prime Minister Michel Barnier on September 9 via a no-confidence vote led by far-right and left-wing factions. “What can we offer our people?” Sargsyan asked, advocating for France’s constitutional approach over Nepal’s violent upheaval.

Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 to 2018 and briefly as prime minister until his resignation amid the 2018 Velvet Revolution, has been a vocal critic of Pashinyan’s leadership. His Republican Party of Armenia, though weakened, remains a key opposition force alongside figures like former President Robert Kocharyan and the Armenia Alliance.

By Khagan Isayev