Pashinyan on Conducting Snap Elections

During the war, we had at least two Security Council meetings, attended by the President of Armenia, one with the Supreme Patriarch, as well as representatives from the National Assembly. We have held meetings with political forces, and in general, they have been aware of the trends. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during an online press conference today, November 16, in response to a question regarding whether members of the National Assembly, ministers, and the President of Armenia were unaware of the noteworthy announcement, and whether that implies these institutions are not functioning. He was also asked if he believes that snap elections should be held to form functional successors for these institutions.

“Yes, there have been many nuances related to specificity that could not be discussed, because a situation arose where decisions needed to be made within hours, and those decisions were made in a very limited timeframe, consulting with the General Staff and the leadership of Artsakh. Specific events were unfolding that needed to be responded to. As for the functioning of the institutions, they are functioning and will continue to do so. I find it very important now that we fully guarantee stability and public security, and we need to focus on that issue. The parliament, the President of Armenia, and the other institutions should not be inactive today; rather, they should function, and all our activities should be directed towards ensuring stability and security. I firmly believe that these institutions are operational, have a mandate to function, and have the authority to act,” said Pashinyan.