Your trusted source

Opposition figure Ara Saghatelyan, a former chief of staff of the Armenian parliament, on Friday said they have “sufficient reasons” to doubt that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan really intends to resign to hold snap parliamentary elections on June 20.

Citing its source, Hraparak Daily earlier reported that Saghatelyan may run in the early elections, leading the electoral list of the party recently created by the team of Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan, a long-time friend of him. The chairman of the party called “My Armenia” is Narek Samsonyan.

In an interview to the newspaper, Saghatelyan said he is not a member of the party and no discussions on the matter have taken place so far, adding however they stand with all those who are opposed to Pashinyan.

“We have sufficient reasons to doubt that these elections will actually take place. Therefore, when it becomes clear that the elections will definitely take place, we will orient ourselves in a short period of time and will certainly let you know about it,” he said.

Asked what further steps they are going to take if the elections are not held, Saghatelyan said their struggle to remove Pashinyan from office will continue with renewed vigor.

“We will do what we are doing now: we will continue the struggle with renewed vigor, proving to all that Nikol is a liar who became prime minister by chance and is leading the country into the abyss.”

To the question whether he plans to go it alone in the elections or ally himself with any other political force, Saghatelyan noted: “At the moment, we have sufficient reasons to believe that the clown holding the prime minister’s office may find an excuse to scrap the elections again. At the moment when the elections are scheduled and having an idea of what is happening on the field, that is, what blocks have been formed and who are the participants, we will notify the public if we decide to run in the elections.”

Also, the former chief of the parliament staff denied any links with the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement demanding the resignation of Pashinyan and his cabinet, adding they just seek the same goal of removing Pashinyan from office and freeing the country from “Nikolism”.