The parliamentary opposition, represented by the factions of the “Strong Armenia” and “Armenia” blocs, boycotted the session of the National Assembly on August 25.
The previous day, the deputies from “Strong Armenia” had left the session hall due to the provocative behavior of the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the deputies of the ruling “Civil Contract” party.
The fact is that the Prime Minister, while presenting the draft of the Government’s program from the NA rostrum, deliberately called Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II by his secular name several times, which from the point of view of church tradition is a gross insult and a manifestation of disrespect. In response, the opposition deputies began to bang on the tables. However, this only further encouraged Pashinyan, who repeated his words several times. The deputies of the ruling party had joined the “flash mob” of the head of government. They began to applaud and make jokes about the opposition. As a result, the deputies from “Strong Armenia” left the parliament’s session hall.
In addition, this morning the Anti-Corruption Committee reported that searches and other procedural actions were conducted at several dozen addresses within the framework of the criminal proceedings. In particular, searches were conducted at the homes of Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan and his son, parliamentarian Levon Kocharyan. The president himself and his eldest son were arrested.
On August 24, an argument broke out in parliament between Levon Kocharyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The latter directly promised from the NA podium to seize all of the deputy’s property, while simultaneously declaring that he would not be able to inherit it to his children and grandchildren.
