Armenian opposition figure accuses Pashinyan of trying to sideline rivals ahead of June 7 vote

Armenian opposition politician Suren Surenyants on Saturday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government of attempting to marginalize key opposition forces ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, warning that excluding major contenders from the race could trigger a political crisis.

Speaking at a meeting organized by Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, Surenyants rejected efforts to group the country's leading opposition movements together under a single label.

"The fatal mistake was placing all of us in one basket," Surenyants said, referring to three major opposition forces that Pashinyan has previously described collectively as a "war trio." He argued that the groups differ significantly in their political approaches, teams, programs and rhetoric.

Surenyants, who heads Armenia's Democratic Party and is running as a parliamentary candidate on the Prosperous Armenia ticket, said there are between 40,000 and 50,000 undecided voters who have not previously participated in elections and could influence the outcome if mobilized.

He also warned that the authorities could seek to "filter out" certain opposition groups from the electoral contest, a move he said could have serious political consequences.

"If one or two of the three key opposition forces are removed from the election campaign, a revolutionary situation could emerge," Surenyants said, drawing comparisons to recent elections in Moldova.

The opposition figure urged voters to respond to potential attempts to manipulate the electoral process, arguing that such actions could instead energize public participation.

According to Surenyants, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government is seeking to suppress voter turnout because higher participation could threaten its electoral prospects.

"They are trying to lower voter turnout because that is their only salvation," he said. "If more than 350,000 voters go to polling stations, their defeat is guaranteed."