YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Amid continuing antigovernment protests in Yerevan, the Armenian opposition moved on Monday to force an emergency parliament debate on its demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his cabinet.
The opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances petitioned the leadership of the National Assembly to convene such a session as protesters led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan occupied a section of the city’s Marshal Bagramian Avenue adjacent to the parliament building. They set up a tent camp there early in the morning after security forces prevented them from marching through another street located closer to the building.
The opposition lawmakers want the parliament to debate and approve by June 17 a resolution saying that Pashinyan’s government must quit because it “has failed the defense, security and territorial integrity” of Armenia, left the country’s sovereignty “under immediate threat” and must be replaced by experienced professionals trusted by the public. Hayastan’s Artsvik Minasyan stressed that the proposed measure is not a vote of no confidence in the government which was demanded by Galstanyan at the start of his month-long campaign for regime change.
The parliament leadership dominated by pro-government lawmakers rejected the initiative later in the day. Speaker Alen Simonian insisted that Pashinyan and his political team still enjoy popular backing.
The parliamentary statutes stipulate that an emergency session must take place if it is demanded by at least 27 members of the 107-seat legislature. Hayastan and Pativ Unem collected 33 signatures in support of the debate, meaning that it has to be scheduled for June 17 at the latest.
However, the parliamentary majority can scuttle the debate by boycotting it and preventing the National Assembly from making a quorum. Hayk Konjoryan, the parliamentary leader of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, made clear that he and his pro-government colleagues will do just that.
Opposition lawmakers said that despite the parliamentary majority’s stance they hope to succeed in forcing the debate.
“Many things will happen before June 17,” said Hayk Mamijanin, the Pativ Unem leader.
For his part, Minasyan said Armenians should take to the streets in large numbers in order to force the ruling majority to obey “the will of the people.”
“It’s important that the people’s demand be so powerful that they show up for that session,” he told protesters camped out on Marshal Bagramian Avenue.
Galstanyan discussed his further actions with these and other opposition leaders who reaffirmed support for his protest movement. The outspoken cleric announced afterwards that the street sit-in will continue and culminate in a major rally in the same location on Wednesday. It will be an “extremely important day,” he said, urging supporters to turn out in force.
“With our presence here on June 12, we can change a lot in our life,” the protest leader added without elaborating.
The parliament is due to hold regular sittings, including a question-and-answer session with Pashinyan and government ministers, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thousands of protesters marched to the Armenian parliament late on Sunday as Galstanyan tried to step up his month-long campaign for Pashinyan’s resignation.
Riot police did not allow them to get close to the parliament building from Marshal Bagramian Avenue, sparking bitter verbal exchanges between Galstanyan and senior police officers at the scene. Although the tensions eased afterwards, the standoff continued, with the protest leader and most of the demonstrators trying to approach the building from another direction shortly after midnight. There too they were stopped by lines of police officers.
Several opposition parliamentarians accompanying Galstanyan also failed to get through the police cordon. Some of them argued and jostled with security forces, accusing the latter of illegally denying them entry to their parliamentary offices. Security forces reluctantly allowed them to enter the building an hour later. At least three other protesters were reportedly detained on the spot during the brief scuffle.
“We will stand here as long as necessary,” Galstanyan said after condemning the “illegal” police actions.
The protesters did not disperse despite heavy rain that began at around 2 a.m. local time. Many of them spent the night on Marshal Bagramian Avenue, with organizers of the action pitching tents there. They remained camped out on the street on Monday morning.
The protesters began the march from the city’s central Republic Square where Galstanyan held another massive rally earlier on Sunday. Addressing supporters rallying there, he announced a “decisive” four-day push for a parliamentary vote of no confidence in Pashinyan’s government.
The outspoken archbishop backed by the Armenian opposition demanded that the pro-government leadership of the parliament convene an emergency session for that purpose on Tuesday. He said the ruling Civil Contract party, which controls the National Assembly, must “obey the will of the people.”
“With our presence, we will not allow them to make yet another anti-state mistake,” he said.
“I want to be sure that this crowd standing here commits to enduring various difficulties for the next four days with persistent efforts, an unwavering will and a conviction that we are just few steps away from victory,” added Galstanyan.
While insisting on Pashinyan’s resignation and the formation of an interim government, Galstanyan made clear that he is also open to discussing other “possible variants of political solutions.” Speaking to reporters during the ensuing march to the parliament, he did not deny that snap elections are one such solution. He did not comment further.