Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian dismissed on Friday opposition claims that he abused his powers by holding rallies during work hours and before the official start of campaigning for Armenia’s upcoming general elections.
Pashinian held the rallies when he visited two Armenian provinces earlier this week. He also discussed the conduct of the December 9 elections with local government officials.
Former President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) denounced those gatherings, accusing Pashinian of using his government levers for electoral purposes. Two other groups running for parliament also criticized them.
A top representative of Armenia’s leading anti-corruption watchdog voiced similar concerns on Thursday, saying that by “international standards” Pashinian’s actions constituted “abuse of administrative resources.”
“Show me those international standards. Publish them on your websites,” Pashinian told journalists when he was asked to comment on the controversy.
“I am calling on all citizens of Armenia to vote for the [ruling] My Step alliance in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Am I abusing my administrative resources?” he said.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the HHK cited election-related guidelines of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which it said were violated by the premier.
Pashinian insisted that he toured towns in the Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn provinces as part of his prime-ministerial duties. In any case, he said, the rallies held there did not breach the Armenian Electoral Code.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) likewise said on Friday that the code does not ban election contenders from holding rallies before the start of the election campaign set for November 26.
Pashinian was equally unrepentant about his decision to march through Yerevan with his supporters on Saturday.
Asked why he did not want to wait until Monday, he said: “When we held a rally on August 17 did we break the law? Or did I break the law when I went to the Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Tavush provinces?”
The HHK was accused by opposition leaders, including Pashinian, and media of abusing its administrative resources in various elections throughout its leader Serzh Sarkisian’s decade-long rule. Many public and even private sector employees were reportedly pressured to attend its campaign rallies and vote for HHK candidates.
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