On May 28, Armenia celebrated the 100th anniversary of the First Republic. Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Armen Sarkissian, and President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan were present at the festive ceremony in Sardarapat. The Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan and the Republican Faction criticized the Prime Minister and his team for not being invited to the celebration. Pashinyan’s staff announced that that an invitation to the Speaker of the National Assembly had been in fact sent.
On May 29, the “Restart”, an initiative of the students of Yerevan State University, held protests at the university, demanding the resignation of Rector Aram Simonyan. Students raised concerns about financial mismanagement in the university, distortion of the academic environment and political party influences.
The Q/A session between Rector Aram Simonyan and the students did not lead to an understanding. The students blocked the entrances to the Rector’s office, preventing him from exiting the hall. The Rector announced that he would not resign. The university also issued a statement saying it was under political pressure. On the night of the protests, Simonyan was hospitalized due to health concerns.
On May 30, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) and the State Revenue Committee began inspections of the Yerevan City Supermarket chain, which is owned by Samvel Aleksanyan, a member of National Assembly’s Republican Faction. The NSS announced that the supermarket chain had hidden largescale taxes. On the same day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assured journalists that there will be no vendettas. Pashinyan called on everyone to devotedly fulfill all their obligations towards the state.
Three members of the Republican faction, Artur Gevorgyan, Shirak Torosyan and Arman Sahakyan, announced their withdrawal from the faction.
Armenia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Artur Grigoryan announced that the government is considering the possibility of reducing electricity and gas tariffs.
On May 30-31, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made his first visit to Georgia, his first official foreign trip. Pashinyan had earlier met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union summit. Prior to Pashinyan taking on the post of prime minister, as well as during the parliamentary elections, Pashinyan had repeatedly highlighted the importance of Armenian-Georgian relations. This is the first time that a new Armenian government leader made Georgia their first official trip. This signals a change in Armenia’s perception of Armenian-Georgian relations.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Masis were arrested. They are suspected of using violence against demonstrators during the Velvet Revolution.
On May 31, the Republican Party announced that it was ready to discuss the issue of Electoral Code and snap parliamentary elections. According to Armenia’s constitution, changes to the Electoral Code as well as the holding of extraordinary elections require two thirds of the vote of the Parliamentarians. The Republican Party of Armenia constitutes a majority in Armenia’s Parliament.
On June 1, the cabinet adopted its draft program, which is to be submitted to the Parliament for approval. The program considers the amendments to the Electoral Code and the holding of extraordinary parliamentary elections within a year a priority.
Mass unrest in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh’s capital (the Republic of Artsakh) started on June 1 and continued well into June 4, as a result of an incident between the national security servicemen and two citizens. The servicemen beat up the two individuals, while police looked on and eventually detained the two citizens, but not those inflicting violence. Protesters succeeded in blocking one of Stepanakert’s main streets, demanding the resignation of the chiefs of Police and National Security Service.
President Bako Sahakyan met with a group of protesters and pledged a detailed and diligent investigation, with those responsible to be held accountable to the maximum degree allowed by law.
Zara Poghosyan