Pashinyan pushes for reduced role of opposition in Parliament

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said there is a need to limit the ability of opposition representatives, who entered parliament following the June 7 elections, to engage in political activity.

“We must record that the parliamentary opposition forming in the National Assembly of the ninth convocation of the legislative body is an illegally formed political entity. Armenia’s lawful right is to deprive these circles of opportunities for further political activity,” he said during a speech in parliament, TASS reports.

Parliamentary elections in Armenia were held on June 7. The ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to preliminary Central Election Commission data from all 2,005 polling stations, secured 49.7456% of the vote. The Strong Armenia bloc led by businessman Samvel Karapetyan received 23.2710%, while the Armenia bloc of former President Robert Kocharyan won 9.9231%. The Prosperous Armenia party of businessman Gagik Tsarukyan received 3.996% of the vote and failed to enter parliament.

By Vafa Guliyeva