Newspaper: Pashinyan begins preparing for upcoming elections

Despite the fact that the next National Assembly elections are still a year and a half away, and Armenian authorities repeatedly claim that early elections are not on their agenda, it has been revealed that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has already begun preparations for the upcoming electoral process.

According to Yerevan-based Hraparak newspaper, sources within the highest levels of the ruling Civil Contract party have disclosed that Pashinyan is currently working on assembling his pre-election list, Caliber.Az reports.

A source from Civil Contract explained that the list will be guided by the "will of the leader" rather than any formal, predetermined standards. "There will be no clear standards, only the leader’s will," the source said. "It’s expected that many of the current active deputies will not make the cut, and about 80 per cent of the current faction in parliament will be replaced."

"Pashinyan’s goal is to present an entirely new lineup of unknown faces in an effort to convince the Armenian electorate that a fresh set of politicians will be able to resolve the issues that the current officials have failed to address: 'Once again, trust in 'Civil Contract,'" the newspaper writes quoting the source, suggesting that the new composition would offer a renewed approach to governance.

Speculation is also circulating that the new list could be presented under a new party name, potentially "Real Armenia," a rebranding effort aimed at reinvigorating the party's image and appealing to voters disillusioned with the current political status quo.

By Tamilla Hasanova