Parliamentary Leader Nikol Pashinyan Steps Down from His Position in Armenia's Parliament
Chief Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Surrenders His Parliamentary Seat, As Per Sputnik Armenia
In a surprising turn of events, as many as 18 candidates, including Nikol Pashinyan, have chosen to vacate their parliamentary seats, according to the Armenian Central Election Commission's secretary, Armen Smbatyan. The 16 who are stepping down hail from the "Civil Contract" party, of which Pashinyan is a part, and two from the "Armenia" bloc, which includes Robert Kocharyan. Notably, no representatives from the "With Honor" bloc have decided to part ways with their parliamentary mandates.
Following the June 20 parliamentary elections, Nikol Pashinyan's "Civil Contract" party clinched a significant win with 71 seats, the "Armenia" bloc, led by Robert Kocharyan, secured 29 seats, and "With Honor" (comprising RPA and Arthur Vaneyan's "Homeland" party) managed to nab 7 seats.
The initial session of the new Armenian parliament is tentatively slated for August 2.
Putting these developments into perspective, the Armenian elections have stirred a whirlwind of controversies, including alleged shooting incidents, bribery, and voter bribery [Read more]. Moreover, Kazakhstan's President has extended his congratulations to Nikol Pashinyan on the resounding success of his party in the parliamentary elections.
The Central Election Commission plans to convene a meeting this week to affirm the newly elected representatives.
While the search results do not offer specific details about the 18 candidates stepping down, they do shed light on recent political happenings that could offer a context for parliamentary resignations:
- Recently, Gyumri's political landscape underwent a significant shift following the collapse of the ruling coalition between the Civil Contract Party and the Balasanyan Alliance. Vardan Ghukasyan (Communist Party) rose to power as Gyumri's newly elected mayor amidst this instability.
- The Civil Contract Party encountered growing competition, reflecting the broader political fragmentation.
- In a separate incident, MP Vilen Gabrielyan (Civil Contract) tendered his resignation in April 2025 after stirring controversy with his remarks. However, mass resignations, including Pashinyan, have not been documented.
Should a mass resignation of MPs occur, it could potentially delay decision-making processes, weaken the government’s majority, necessitating the formation of new alliances, or even trigger early elections. Moreover, such resignations could further erode public trust in light of previous incidents like Gyumri's coalition collapse and Gabrielyan's departure.
While we await more details, it appears that Armenia's political stage remains turbulent, with political resignations and electoral shifts already playing a role in shaping the nation's governance.
- Nikol Pashinyan, along with 17 other candidates, has vacated their parliamentary seats, as reported by Armen Smbatyan, the secretary of the Armenian Central Election Commission.
- Pashinyan's decision to surrender his mandate comes after the June 20 parliamentary elections, where his "Civil Contract" party secured a significant victory with 71 seats.
- The initial session of the new Armenian parliament is scheduled for August 2, but mass resignations could potentially delay this process, weaken the government’s majority, or necessitate the formation of new alliances.
- Pashinyan's resignation and the subsequent political resignations could further erode public trust in light of previous incidents like Gyumri's coalition collapse and Gabrielyan's departure, hinting at a turbulent political future for Armenia.
