Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian refused on Wednesday to take part in a one-on-one televised debate with the top parliamentary election candidate of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
The candidate, Vigen Sargsian, challenged Pashinian to such a debate earlier in the day, while accusing the latter of campaigning for the December 9 elections in “the most ugly and inappropriate” way.
Pashinian dismissed the proposal as “illogical” as he campaigned in the northern Tavush province. “The same proposal could be made by [Bright Armenia party leader] Edmon Marukian, [Menk alliance] leader Aram Sarkisian and other parties,” he told reporters. “Should I have 10 separate debates?”
Pashinian said he is prepared instead for a different TV debate that would involve leaders of all 11 parties and blocs running in the snap elections.
Sargsian said he too supports such a broad-based debate but believes that he and Pashinian must also face each other separately because the HHK is the main target of the premier’s harsh verbal attacks launched on the campaign trail. Pashinian spends most of his campaign “scaring the people with Republicans,” said the former defense minister.
The HHK condemned this “hate speech” in a written appeal to Armenia’s Central Election Commission and human rights ombudsman issued on Tuesday.
Pashinian shrugged off the HHK claims. “I think that with their black-and-white posters the Republicans created a notion or admitted that they are hated in Armenia,” he said. “I’m not the one who has disseminated that sentiment. They have disseminated it with their activities.”
Campaigning in another northern province, Lori, on Tuesday, Pashinian pledged to “grab by the throat,” “throw to the ground” and jail loyalists of the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) who would try to pressure voters. He ordered the Armenian police to deal with HHK-linked “criminal elements” in a similar fashion. He did not name names.
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