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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the “opposition crisis” and the problems surrounding the development of the political system should become subjects of public and political debate.
MP Edgar Arakelyan, addressing the Prime Minister during parliamentary question time, proposed giving an institutional political assessment of the opposition’s activities, also presenting his claims regarding foreign influence.
Pashinyan said that the latest local self-government elections had highlighted the problem conventionally referred to as the “opposition crisis.” At the same time, he questioned the possibility of the Government contributing to resolving this issue.
“What is the Government supposed to do about this issue? Essentially, apart from speaking out about it, there is probably nothing it can do. I think there should be a public and political discussion on this topic. Naturally, a public discussion,” the Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan said the time for political assessments would also come. In this context, he mentioned ongoing criminal cases, proceedings concerning electoral bribery, and processes for the confiscation of illegally acquired assets, noting that their outcomes would make it possible to take stock of what had happened and issue assessments.
Arakelyan also asked a follow-up question about the possibility of establishing an investigative committee to examine the opposition’s activities.
Pashinyan responded that, to his knowledge, there are restrictions on establishing investigative committees concerning matters that are the subject of ongoing criminal cases.
Addressing the broader causes of the problem, the Prime Minister also linked the failure to establish a mature political system to the conflict and its perception.
“The establishment of a political system is important for the state. And we must understand why a political system has not been established in Armenia. In my opinion, the political system has not been established, and is not being established, also because of the conflict, its perception,” Pashinyan stated.
He added that a more extensive discussion would be needed to explain these cause-and-effect relationships.