August 26, 2021 - 13:34 AMT
Parliament approves five-year government program for Armenia

The Armenian parliament on Thursday, August 26, approved the government's 2021-2026 action plan, with only the ruling Civil Contract party casting ballots.

President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan announced the results and said the parliament will convene again on September 13.

The opposition "I Have Honor" and Armenia blocs did not cast ballots.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier introduced the government program in parliament, and Q&A sessions afterwards sparked brawls and insults for two days in a row. One lawmaker received an injury on Thursday and was hospitalized, other lawmakers traded insults and threw bottles at each other, while security guards also hampered the activity of journalists working in the parliament at that time.

The Armenian government unveiled its five-year program a week earlier, with Pashinyan vowing reforms in the social, economic, educational and security fields.