The opposition Homeland Salvation Movement on Wednesday staged another protest outside the National Assembly building, demanding the resignation of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Hayk Mamijanyan, the head of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Youth Organization, again accused the premier of failing to deal with several pressing issues in the country and instead trying to maintain his grip on power.
“Those include the issue of the prisoners of war (POWs), the social and army building problems, not to mention that now border villagers have to negotiate with the Azerbaijani military on the border demarcation,” he told reporters. “Leaving aside these problems, the National Assembly has convened a special sitting to discuss the issue of establishing courts of arrest to get rid of people like me, my friends, dissidents, patriots, who do not want traitors to rule in Armenia and keep these people behind bars more easily. In addition, we have an MP, Anush Beghloyan, who seems not to understand well whether she is a deputy of the Armenian or the Turkish parliaments. We have gathered here also to remind this woman that she is a lawmaker of the Armenian National Assembly,” Mamijanyan noted.
The opposition politician states an Armenian MP has no right to say "stupidities" on international platforms.
Separately, Mamijanyan dismissed reports that the Homeland Salvation Movement, a coalition of 17 opposition parties, is facing some problems.
"We continue our work on all fronts and have already achieved small victories, but the most important issue – the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan – remains. I am not going to unveil our plan for today’s activities, which also include surprises. I believe that as a result of daily pressure, Nikol and his team of traitors will feel that they have nothing to do in Armenia. A person who fails to put the issue of the repatriation of our POWs on the agenda of negotiations has no right to hold talks on our behalf," Mamijanyan stated.
He also joked that the opposition repeatedly holds a protest in Yerevan “jointly with police officers.”
"When the Homeland Salvation Movement holds a rally of 1,000 people, the authorities deploy 1,000 police officers at the demonstration. But even in that case, Nikol moves around Yerevan in fear,” the politician added.