YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed as false the claim that Armenia’s third president, Serzh Sargsyan, is not participating in the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.
Speaking to journalists after a government session, Pashinyan stated:
“In previous elections, Serzh Sargsyan participated through the ‘I Have Honor’ alliance, while in these elections he is participating through ‘Strong Armenia.’ First, he has publicly expressed support for that force; second, the entire well-known team has been attending their rallies. In the current electoral process, they seek revenge and aim to restore the 2006 alliance of ARF–BHK–RPA. There is no other story behind this.”
He added that prior to 2018, it appeared there were liberals and diverse viewpoints in Armenia’s political field, but recent developments revealed otherwise.
Pashinyan emphasized that the upcoming elections present a unique opportunity to remove former ruling elites from the political arena.
“I believe these elections are a unique opportunity for us to simply push those criminal-oligarchic former elites out of politics. I see that opportunity through my interactions with the public,” he said.
