Pashinyan Uses Threats of Slapping and Laying Asphalt, Iveta Tonoyan Says

The spokesperson for the leader of the Bright Armenia Party, Iveta Tonoyan, commented during a press conference on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's assessments regarding Gagik Tsarukyan and his family, and spoke about the course of the election campaign.

Tonoyan expressed confidence that the Prime Minister's statements will not affect citizens' decision to vote for the Bright Armenia Party, as the process has years of political experience. "I am more than confident that all those people who have decided to give their vote of confidence to the Bright Armenia Party on June 7, this will not affect them in any case, because it is no surprise to anyone that Nikol Pashinyan is a brilliant example of such political manipulations, and from time to time, when there is a need to distract the public's attention from one topic or another, he uses such lexicon, such language of threats, periodically coming out with threats of slapping and laying asphalt," Tonoyan stated.

According to her, society has witnessed such rhetoric many times in recent years. She also questioned the government's stance on legal matters, stating that the prime minister is trying to directly influence the law enforcement system. "Nikol Pashinyan has unilaterally reserved the functions of regulating the work of all these systems for himself. I see no logic in this case," she said.

Tonoyan emphasized the principle of the presumption of innocence, highlighting that political statements cannot replace legal assessments. She expressed concern that a week after the campaign's start, the struggle is in a tense and unconstructive phase. "I deeply regret that the political struggle, just a week after the start of the campaign, is in this phase today," she noted.

Referring to the targeting of Gagik Tsarukyan and the party, the spokesperson attributed it to the high ratings of the Bright Armenia Party. "I am more than confident that they are aware of the sociological polls, and I believe that one of the main reasons for this chaotic situation is also the very high rating of Gagik Tsarukyan and the Bright Armenia Party," she said.

According to Tonoyan, the rhetoric used by the ruling party is also recorded and criticized in sociological observations. She added that the authorities contradict their own declared democratic values. "For me, this is a painful fact, but I repeat, I am more than confident that our population possesses adequate civil and political consciousness to give a deserved assessment on June 7," she remarked.

Speaking about developments in the opposition field, Tonoyan mentioned that final evaluations can only be made after the elections. "Nothing is excluded in politics, and one cannot speak about anything by leading with the syndrome of prediction," she said.

Regarding Gagik Tsarukyan's possible participation in debates, the spokesperson clarified that a final decision has not yet been made. "There are still discussions because there is enough time; the last pre-election debate is scheduled for June 3 or 4," she said, adding that the issue will be resolved later.

Tonoyan also criticized the government’s statements about peace, calling them political blackmail. "If their so-called peace is no longer a reality, what are they afraid of?" she asked. According to her, the Bright Armenia Party supports the exclusion of war, and security should be guaranteed through international cooperation and economic development. "This is merely elementary and elemental blackmail, through which Nikol Pashinyan is subjecting our people to blackmail," Tonoyan noted.

The spokesperson also criticized the behavior of government representatives, particularly the statements of Arayik Harutyunyan, claiming that they do not conform to legal norms. She mentioned that some dismissals have been politicized. "I raised the example of the deputy mayors... we will go the legal way," she stated.

At the end of the press conference, Iveta Tonoyan informed that the Bright Armenia Party will continue its pre-election meetings, maintaining a constructive discourse. "Thank you for your attention; we will try to make this format of our meetings traditional," she concluded.