On 19 January, the leader of the Bright Armenia opposition party Edmon Marukyan criticised the country’s government for not allowing political discussions to take place amidst the ongoing crisis.

“In a civilized world during political crises authorities are making concessions, holding discussions, listening to opinions, proposals and searching for ways out. In Armenia during the political crisis the authorities are trying not to allow discussions. Take the.. position of chairperson of the National Assembly standing committee... [who stated] that the most serious issue of the country is the parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition,” he wrote. “In these conditions no matter how big our wish to promote the overcoming of the political crisis will be, it becomes simply impossible in the atmosphere created by the ruling majority,” he added. 

However, Marukyan emphasised that as long as the return of Armenia’s prisoners of war is not resolved, there could be no snap parliamentary elections in the country. He also claimed that the authorities in the country were afraid of the examination of the process of war or its preparation period.

A few days earlier, on 15 January, the leaders of the Homeland Salvation Movement promised to put more efforts to force Pashinyan to resign, during their visit to the Gyumri region. “I thought that there are one million people in Yerevan and they all will take to the streets because they were humiliated, but people were so depressed and aggrieved … I know many people who cry at home but don’t bother to come out. We have a lot to do about that,” said Vazgen Manukyan, the Prime Minister candidate of the movement. “People must take to the streets, organise themselves and oust this government. There is no other option,” stated one of the the leaders of the Dashnaktsutyun party Ishkhan Saghatelyan, adding that the alliance will also keep pressing pro-government lawmakers to stop supporting Pashinyan.

The son-in-law of Armenia’s former President Serzh Sargsyan and Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasyan, during a live broadcast on Facebook, claimed that the Speaker of the Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan is a double agent for the National Security Service of Armenia. He stated that the head of the National Assembly of Armenia was first recruited by the Turkish special services. Then the National Security Service of Armenia, having clarified this fact, allegedly offered Ararat Mirzoyan either to work as a double agent, or to go on trial for treason. Mirozyan called Minasyan’s accusation “another delirium” and the National Security Service also denied the veracity of the information.

The new member of the country’s parliament Anna Grigoryan (former ruling My Step deputy), who replaced a pro-government lawmaker who resigned last month, defended her decision to defect from the ruling My Step bloc and backed calls for Pashinyan’s resignation. “I believe that a government defeated in the war must inevitably resign,” she said, adding that the polls for an eventual snap parliamentary election must be held by a new, interim government made up of “technocrats.”