Speaking in parliament, Mirzoyan said he believes the prospect of war is real if the ruling Civil Contract party is not reelected in the June vote. He pointed to opposition figures whose political views, he said, include territorial claims to neighboring countries.
“It is unequivocal that such a prospect can exist,” Mirzoyan said. “Minutes ago we were talking in the committee, including with those opposition deputies whose ideology is that there are territorial issues with almost all neighboring countries.”
Mirzoyan argued that the opposition’s rise to power would immediately create problems with neighboring states.
“What is the blackmail here? We are offering peace. We say that our country needs peace. It is our strong belief that otherwise the very existence of the Republic of Armenia as an independent state will be in great doubt,” Mirzoyan said.
He also rejected the commonly used opposition argument that it is the Pashinian government that has “brought wars” to Armenia, saying that the war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh that Armenia lost in 2020 stemmed from more than 30 years of “flawed political thinking.”
Last week, Pashinian accused his political opponents of planning to revise the current peace with Azerbaijan if they win the elections. He specifically named forces led by former President Robert Kocharian, Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetian, and businessman Gagik Tsarukian.
“I want to say this very directly, without any pretense, that [if they win] it will be a war with the loss of not only territory but also sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinian said.
He further warned that such a war would have “disastrous” consequences for Armenia and could begin within months of the mentioned opposition forces’ coming to power.
Opposition figures have rejected these claims, accusing Pashinian of exploiting public fears of war for electoral purposes.
Addressing supporters on Saturday, Kocharian called it “absurd” that a leader who “has brought three wars” to Armenia speaks about peace. He also described the narrative that “if it is not us, then it will be war” as “dangerous” and “humiliating.”
“Yes, we must do everything to avoid war, but that does not mean making concessions,” Kocharian said. “It means having dignified diplomacy, dignified policies.”