Armenian politician says statehood at risk under current government

Armenian opposition politician Levon Zurabyan on Thursday accused the country’s leadership of pursuing policies aimed at stripping Armenia of its role as a national state, as the country marked Republic Day and prepared for parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.

In a statement issued on the anniversary of the founding of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918, Zurabyan said the modern Armenian state had historically embodied the nation’s identity, cultural traditions and aspirations for independence.

“Armenia’s current authorities are now openly pursuing a policy under which the Republic of Armenia would cease functioning as a national state,” Zurabyan said. He alleged that the government’s “Real Armenia” concept would turn the country into a “puppet entity” serving foreign interests and lead to the “Azerbaijanization” of Armenia through demographic and authoritarian changes.

Zurabyan, who has been announced as the Armenian National Congress party’s candidate for prime minister, called on voters to “affirm their will to have an independent national state” in the June 7 parliamentary elections.