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Menua Soghomonyan, a member of the opposition 5165 movement seeking the removal of the current Armenian authorities, says the most important reason for toppling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is that he failed to deliver on his campaign promises made at the 2021 snap parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on Tuesday, he recalled Pashinyan’s promise to recognize the right of the Artsakh people to self-determination. However, addressing lawmakers last week, Pashinyan said Armenia had to “lower the bar” on the issue of Artsakh's status, while his teammates announced that Artsakh “has a future as a part of Azerbaijan.”

Soghomonyan stresses that Nikol Pashinyan “has betrayed” the values of the revolution he declared, including democracy, solidarity and security, as well as all other values and principles, followed by thousands of people.

"Pashinyan failed the state administration during the state of emergency and martial law. He is responsible for thousands of deaths during the Covid-19 state of emergency, because the healthcare system was not properly managed at the time," he said.

Soghomonyan also accused the Armenian government of mishandling the military mobilization during the 2020 war.

"Instead of establishing democracy, ensuring the separation of powers and balance, Nikol Pashinyan has monopolized the whole power, including external and internal decision-making. The legislature is under his full control and his orders are carried out by one parliamentary faction there,” Soghomonyan stated, noting that the parliamentary factions do not work with each other, while the laws are adopted within 2-3 hours.

He claims that Nikol Pashinyan “has illegally taken control” over the judiciary, and made the changes in the Constitutional Court through the National Assembly, while it had to be done through a referendum.

The country’s president is not politically neutral as he has been a government member before taking over the new post, Soghomonyan stated.

“Pashinyan has established total control over all branches of the government, despite the fact that during the revolution he promised to provide mechanisms for separation, compromise and balance between the three powers,” the oppositionist stressed.

He states that Nikol Pashinyan has undermined the state system, shifting the responsibility for any failure to others.