Armenian opposition leader accuses Pashinyan of pension 'manipulation' in parliament

Armenian opposition lawmaker Hayk Mamijanyan on Thursday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of engaging in political trickery during a parliamentary Q&A session, criticizing his claims of repeatedly raising pensions.

Mamijanyan, head of the Pativ Unem faction, told reporters that Pashinyan had exaggerated the scale of pension increases, presenting several small adjustments as multiple significant hikes. “This is just political sleight of hand. Pashinyan reached the peak of manipulation in parliament yesterday,” Mamijanyan said.

He argued that the government’s portrayal of pension increases was misleading, noting that incremental rises of 1,000 drams each time were being presented as major reforms. “This is kindergarten-level manipulation,” he added.