Armenian opposition MP says ruling party 'missed its train'

Opposition MP Artur Khachatryan accused the ruling Civil Contract party of trying to block rivals through electoral reforms, declaring during a parliamentary debate that its “train has already left the station”.

Khachatryan, who represents the Hayastan bloc, spoke at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly where Civil Contract deputies introduced amendments to the Electoral Code. The proposal would bar political alliances from using personal names, government institutions or offensive language in their titles.

“Their rule is coming to an end and they are grasping at straws,” Khachatryan said, urging ruling party members to study the law more carefully. He recalled that during the 2021 elections, Civil Contract's campaign posters featured only the name “Nikol”, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.