When Did Onik Gasparyan First Oppose Pashinyan? Tensions Have Been High for a Long Time

The statement by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Onik Gasparyan, and other members of the staff demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government continues to be widely discussed. However, it is not officially known why the once-trusted officials' relationship has soured.

One thing is clear: this is not the first time that Onik Gasparyan has opposed Nikol Pashinyan, as their relationship has been strained for a long time. The newspaper "Zhoghovurd" reported back on November 26, 2020, that Onik Gasparyan submitted a resignation request from the position of Chief of General Staff, but both the government and military generals urged him not to leave, to which Gasparyan acquiesced. After lengthy discussions, he told his close associates that he would not resign and would not leave the army behind.

Before this, Onik Gasparyan had several occasions where he told Nikol Pashinyan that he should resign if he wanted stability and development in the country, but Pashinyan did not heed his advice. He also did not listen when Gasparyan stated that there should not be any discussion about the "Iskander" missiles.

Pashinyan's statement about the allegedly malfunctioning "Iskander" was the point that compelled Gasparyan and his colleagues to issue a public statement demanding his resignation.