by David Bishop
On Friday, September 26, parliamentary factions of the Armenian opposition attempted to work together to remove Nikol Pashinyan from office as prime minister. Though this initiative lacked the necessary votes to pass, it was a significant escalation in the opposition’s signalling of its disdain for Pashinyan, in the midst of Pashinyan’s generally abysmal popularity ratings in Armenia.
The Hayastan and Pativ Unem (“With Honor”) factions initiated parliamentary debate, delivering addresses accusing Pashinyan of constitutional violations and of betraying Armenia. The most bitterly painful political event in recent Armenian history was the loss of Artsakh, which the opposition believes Pashinyan betrayed.
These two factions together hold 34 seats in the Armenian National Assembly, out of 107. The Civil Contract Party still holds a majority in the National Assembly as a result of the previous elections in 2021, so parliamentary means of removing Pashinyan are highly unlikely to succeed, at least until the next elections in 2026 give the Armenian opposition a chance to increase its parliamentary position. It should be noted that in a prominent US-organized poll in July, only 13% of voters approved of Pashinyan, with the Civil Contract Party in general receiving only 17% support.
During the debate on impeaching Pashinyan in the National Assembly, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) parliamentary faction, stated “We reaffirm our position that Pashinyan must be removed. The legal and political grounds are indisputable.” The ARF faction is part of the Hayastan Alliance, currently led by former President Robert Kocharyan. Meanwhile, the secretary of the Pativ Unem faction, Tigran Abrahamyan, stated “Pashinyan’s criminal actions have led to the loss of Artsakh, his careless diplomacy ignores the existence of prisoners of war, his authoritarian tendencies have led to the arrest of dissidents, and his administration has fostered a new level of corruption.”
While parliamentarians delivered addresses against Pashinyan, a crowd of protesters assembled in front of the National Assembly building to signal their support of the proceedings. A large television screen was erected to broadcast the opposition speeches to the supporting crowd, which assembled on Baghramyan street in protest against the Pashinyan government. A long line of police officers was deployed to monitor the crowd, though no disturbances were observed. Protesters along the whole street number in the range of approximately 250-350.
Long line of police officers observe opposition protesters in front of the National Assembly building on Baghramyan street, September 26, 2025
