Ruling party MPs fail to secure quorum despite Pashinyan's presence

The Armenian National Assembly again failed to convene on Wednesday after the ruling Civil Contract faction MPs did not ensure a quorum despite Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's presence in the chamber.

Only 50 MPs registered for the morning sitting, well short of the 66 required. A second attempt brought the number to 51. As opposition Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan entered the hall, Speaker Alen Simonyan remarked: “Come in, Mr Minasyan, the whole parliament has been waiting for you. We’ve missed you.”

A third registration attempt raised the count to just 54 MPs. Simonyan then announced a 20-minute break.

This is the second time in recent weeks that a sitting has stalled due to low attendance among the ruling faction while Pashinyan was in the chamber.