Pashinyan: war led to territorial loss, but statehood gained

PanARMENIAN.Net - During a speech at Yerevan State University, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledged the consequences of the 44-day war, stating that although Armenia lost part of its homeland, it gained a more sovereign and independent state.

He presumed that Armenia had not experienced such legitimate governance since 1991.

Pashinyan said that the decision to hold snap elections in 2021 was driven by a perceived legitimacy crisis following the war. "To resolve the legitimacy issue, we proceeded with elections. Essentially, we conducted those elections under the threat of death," he remarked.

Snap parliamentary elections were held on June 20, 2021, earlier than the initially scheduled December 9, 2023, due to a prolonged political crisis following the 2020 war. The main competition was between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and former President Robert Kocharyan. Pashinyan's Civil Contract party secured a constitutional majority, while the "Armenia" and "I Have Honor" alliances placed second and third, respectively.