Armenia Prime Minister rallies supporters against alleged ‘coup’ attempt

Armenia’s political crisis reached innovative heights today, as the country’s armed forces demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, increasing fears of a military coup.

Right before noon local period, the general personnel of the Armenian military released an unprecedented statement. Declaring that the “inefficient governance of the existing authorities” possessed brought the united states “to the brink of collapse,” it explained that Mr Pashinyan and his federal government were “no more able to make satisfactory decisions... for the Armenian people.”

A large number of high-ranking officers, like the Chief of the overall Personnel, Onik Gasparyan, undersigned the statement.

The demand was immediately rejected by Mr Pashinyan, who called on his supporters to gather on the capital’s Republic Square and reject the army’s demands. Then led a crowd of supporters on a march through downtown Yerevan before a planned speech.

The route almost brought the pro-government crowd into direct confrontation with an opposition rally. As Mr Pashinyan and his supporters approved by, anti-federal government protesters hurled cries of ‘traitor’ and ‘resign’ at him. Police broke up several scuffles between your two sides.

Mr Pashinyan then returned to Republic Square for a good consumer speech, his first since the end of the war, railing against the army and his political opponents.

“The army can't be involved in politics,” Mr Pashinyan told the crowd. “They need to respect the electoral will of the persons.”

He also issued a warning to his political opponents.

“Politicians should know that there is a series,” Mr Pashinyan said. “In the event that you cross it, you will be arrested.”

The immediate trigger for the army’s statement came in the wake of Mr Pashinyan’s dismissal on Wednesday of the deputy army chief of staff, Tiran Khachatryan. This followed a scandal that first emerged on Tuesday, when the prime minister criticised the wartime effectiveness of a Russian ballistic missile program, leading to a sharp rebuke from both Russian officials and Armenian armed service brass.

Various Armenian oppositionists accuse Mr Pashinyan of alienating Russia, Yerevan’s chief military and political ally.

The country’s political crisis has been going on for months. Since signing a ceasefire package, on crushing conditions, that ended last autumn’s 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan above the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr Pashinyan possesses faced frequent protests against his rule.

The most prominent opposition bloc arrayed against him, the ‘Homeland Salvation Motion,’ consists of 17 parties which may have held regular rallies. Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in addition has turn out highly against Mr Pashinyan.

While Mr Pashinyan has lost support, he's still widely observed in Armenia as the better decision compared to the opposition, dominated by members of the much-reviled old regime toppled in 2018’s ‘Velvet Revolution,’ which toppled the authoritarian federal government of his predecessor, Serzh Sargsyan.

“I don’t very much like Nikol [Pashinyan], but what other choice do we've?,” said Vrezh, a 45-year aged mechanic at Thursday’s pro-government rally. “The others robbed the country for thirty years,” he added.

Others chose never to attend either rally, out of broad dissatisfaction with both sides.

“Nikol can be an idiot and must go, however the others are just thieves,” said Astghik, a good 30-year old entrepreneur. “After 3,000 years as a nation, I can’t believe they are the very best politicians we can come up with,” she said.

Moscow announced that it was watching Thursday’s developments ‘with concern,’ even while noting that the turmoil found in the country was ‘an internal subject’ for Armenia.

Regional professionals saw today as a watershed moment for the united states.

“The military’s intervention into politics is demonstrably unprecedented,” said Richard Giragosian, director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center. “It issues the whole stability of civil-armed service relations, especially considering that over three dozen senior officers [signed the statement],” he added.

“The only method out is seeking a brand new mandate from new elections,” Mr Giragosian said, adding that the ruling My Step bloc was likely to even now win a governing majority, albeit reduced, in virtually any new vote.

During writing, a big opposition rally was still taking place beyond Armenia’s parliament building.