Political tensions are escalating in Armenia, with widespread protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The unrest was triggered by the announcement of a potential peace treaty with Azerbaijan, which many Armenians oppose.
The demonstrations mainly rally around two figures: the opposition – united under the “Tavush for the Sake of the Homeland” movement – and Archbishop Bagrat Srbazan, who led a significant rally in Yerevan, Armenia. The demonstrators demand Pashinyan’s immediate resignation, and plan to initiate civil disobedience actions, including strikes and roadblocks, and have announced intentions to start impeachment proceedings in the parliament.
In response, Pashinyan has deployed special police forces to maintain order. Although protesters call for Pashinyan’s dismissal or impeachment, this is an unlikely scenario, with Pashinyan’s party holding a substantial majority in the National Assembly. Areg Kochinyan, political analyst for the Research Center on Security policy in Armenia, stated:
“The opposition won’t achieve anything in the National Assembly. I even doubt whether the opposition can initiate the impeachment process against Armenia‘s prime minister, as [all] factions combined don’t hold a third of the votes.”
Adding to the tensions, state-sponsored Azeri media outlet Minval reported that Baku and Ankara might consider intervening in Armenia to maintain order through a limited troop contingent, should the current government be forced to resign.
This statement could potentially heighten tensions further in Armenia.