Armenian opposition figure says Nikol Pashinyan fears defeat

An Armenian opposition figure said on Friday that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan fears losing power and is attempting to block detained businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan from becoming the country’s next prime minister.

Narek Karapetyan, a member of the Strong Armenia party and coordinator of the Mer Dzevov (Our Way) movement, who is the nephew of Samvel Karapetyan, made the remarks in a statement posted on social media.

“Today I saw a weak prime minister who is afraid of defeat,” he wrote. “Pashinyan already knows that Samvel Karapetyan will be Armenia’s next prime minister and is trying to find ways to obstruct it. But that will not help him, because Samvel Karapetyan will become prime minister, and Armenia will be strong.”

Karapetyan stressed that his camp was seeking a “major victory” in order to implement sweeping economic reforms, including the creation of 300,000 new jobs, construction of 20,000 affordable housing units, guaranteed procurement of agricultural produce, a zero-percent tax rate for small businesses and reductions in the prices of medicines and essential goods.

He also accused Pashinyan of denying Samvel Karapetyan the opportunity to speak publicly out of fear of political competition.