Kocharyan urges voters to end Pashinyan's rule in June 7 elections

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on Sunday urged voters to deny Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan a third term in office, blaming his government for a series of military, economic and social setbacks as campaigning intensifies ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a rally in Yerevan, Kocharyan, who leads the opposition Hayastan alliance, accused Pashinyan's government of misleading the public about the country's condition while presiding over major policy failures.

Kocharyan cited Armenia's defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan, territorial losses and the displacement of ethnic Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) among the government's most serious failures. He also criticized the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-corruption efforts, economic policy and crime prevention.

"The problem is not the state or our people. The problem is one person," Kocharyan told supporters, referring to Pashinyan.

"If you love the people, then step aside and do not put them in harm's way."

He argued that many of Armenia's current challenges, including security concerns, economic difficulties and political tensions, could be addressed through a change of leadership following the elections.