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“Paradoxical as it may sound, Nikol Pashinyan’s factor is more stabilizing in this situation than destabilizing,” ruling My Step bloc MP Lena Nazaryan told a briefing at the parliament on Thursday.
Her comments came in response to a question about whether Pashinyan’s replacement is acceptable for the parliamentary majority.

Nazaryan, a deputy speaker of the parliament, cited Nikol Pashinyan's call to his supporters gathered at the Republic Square on Wednesday to stop the rally and avoid escalation of tensions. The lawmaker stressed that she could not imagine any other person who could stabilize the situation.

Referring to the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin on stopping the war in more favorable conditions, the MP stated. "We learned that at the suggestion of the Russian president and with the consent of [Azerbaijani President] Aliyev, there was a proposal between October 19 to 20 to allow the return of refugees comprising mostly of Azerbaijanis to Shushi. When the Armenian side faced a difficult situation on the frontline, it actually agreed to the handover of 7 regions, but Aliyev added Shushi to them as well, that was the case,” she said.

According to Nazaryan, discussing the issue, the Armenian side considered the surrender of Shushi unacceptable, because if the refugees, 80% Azeris, had returned to the city, it would have meant ceding Shushi to Azerbaijan. She said the Armenian authorities decided to continue the fight, thinking that they would have a military success and achieve a breakthrough, as Shushi is a fortress city, but it did not happen and the ceasefire statement was adopted right after Shushi fell.

Lena Nazaryan said that from that moment on it was clear that it would not be possible to have military success and under such conditions every next victim would not solve any military problem.

"If Armenia had agreed to the return of refugees to Shushi on October 19-20, they would accuse us of handing it over today, they still accuse us, but Shushi was captured, not handed over," Lena Nazaryan stated.