Pashinyan dismisses administrative resource abuse accusations ahead of campaigning launch

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has once again emphasized that it is the people that will determine who will become the government and who will become opposition, and who will remain outside the political arena with the results of the general election.

“I’ve said that this is our political mission. The moment the people decide that we shouldn’t be in government, we will not be government,” he told reporters today after touring the Old Yerevan construction project site. “And after losing power we will walk the streets of Yerevan with the same smiles and if needed we will campaign,” he added.

Pashinyan also addressed accusations claiming that he has abused administrative resources by campaigning before the official start of the campaigning period.

He dismissed the accusations and firstly addressed a statement of the Republican Party Council which claimed that Pashinyan’s recent visit to a province where he held a rally constitutes abuse of administrative resources by international standards. He urged Republicans to name these ‘international standards’. “Meaning, what should the caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia do? Not leave his office?” he said.

Asked why he called for a rally on November 24, and not two days later when the campaigning period will officially have begun, Pashinyan said: “Is any citizen of Armenia restricted in holding a rally at any given day?”

Pashinyan said that campaigning calls can be voiced at any time and that he has not anyhow breached the Electoral Code. He said he will continue talking with the people, like he has done before.

Asked about what kind of a rally will take place on November 24, he said: “The march is of a walking nature. We will march, we may or may not address electoral issues. I am calling on all citizens of Armenia to vote for the Im Kayl [My Step] alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. Did I just abuse any administrative resource? If I am abusing administrative resource by international standards, let them show us these standards,” he said.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on October 16 to trigger the process of disbanding the parliament.

Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyan’s Republican Party (HHK) still has most seats in the 105-seat parliament. Since taking office, Nikol Pashinyan has numerously said that the incumbent parliament doesn’t represent the people and that early elections should take place as soon as possible.

In accordance to the Constitution, when a Prime Minister resigns the parliament must elect a new PM within two weeks. Lawmakers deliberately failed to elect a new PM as a formality in order to pave the way for dissolution.

The last round took place on November 1 and the parliament was dissolved by virtue of law.

Later on the same day, President Armen Sarkissian signed an order on dissolving the parliament and calling early elections on December 9.

The parliament will function until the new parliament is elected.

The government is formally a caretaker government until a new government is formed after the election.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan