Armenian opposition candidate slams poverty in villages visited by Pashinyan

Narek Karapetyan, head of the opposition Strong Armenia party's electoral list, criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s campaign visit to villages in Syunik Province, saying poverty and unemployment remain widespread despite government claims of infrastructure improvements.

Speaking to reporters at Victory Park in Yerevan, Karapetyan said residents of Angeghakot and Brnakot, where Pashinyan toured on Friday, face “mass poverty” and high joblessness. “What repair, what asphalt? People have even stopped raising livestock. We must provide jobs, not just roads,” he said.

Karapetyan added that his party’s campaign will focus on presenting a development program in Sisian later on Saturday. He also accused the government of failing to safeguard national security, citing the heavy toll of recent conflicts.

Pashinyan stated during his visit that road paving in the area dated back to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s era.