Aghvan Vardanyan, a lawmaker from the opposition “Hayastan” faction, has refused to sign the petition for a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The petition had been brought to him at the National Assembly by Narek Malyan, a representative of the “We Are Awake” movement, who had previously taken the form from the “I Have Honor” faction, according to Aysor.am .

“You had said you were ready to sign. I assumed your delay was due to miscommunication, not lack of genuine intent,” Malyan told Vardanyan.

Vardanyan responded that he had already met with four MPs from the “I Have Honor” faction to discuss the issue and that they had left the meeting satisfied. “I’ve spoken with Mr. Mamijanyan—he knows where to find me and can bring the form himself. Let Mamijanyan know that Vardanyan is here; if there are any questions, he can come and we’ll talk. I will not discuss this matter with Malyan,” he said.

Malyan was also unable to meet MPs Agnesa Khamoyan and Artur Khachatryan, as they were not present at the time.

Speaking to reporters in the National Assembly, Malyan said they are currently trying to overcome a “resistance wall” created by opposition lawmakers. “As of now, Robert Kocharyan is against the no-confidence process and is imposing his opinion on the ‘Hayastan’ faction,” Malyan stated.

He added that the situation is strange: “The public sees and is surprised that it’s the opposition blocking a no-confidence motion against Nikol Pashinyan. These are the same people who, in 2021, campaigned to remove him.”

Malyan noted that the signatures published by the “Hayastan” faction hold no legal weight because they have not collected enough endorsements to nominate Davit Hambardzumyan—“I Have Honor” faction’s candidate for prime minister. So far, only six MPs have signed.

“I’m here to retrieve the form from the ‘I Have Honor’ faction and visit MPs Artur Khachatryan, Aghvan Vardanyan, and Agnesa Khamoyan to remind them of their promise,” he said.

Commenting on the form published by the “Hayastan” faction, “I Have Honor” faction leader Hayk Mamijanyan said he didn’t know what document the faction had signed.

Meanwhile, “Hayastan” faction head Seyran Ohanyan posted their members’ signatures on Facebook, confirming that although 28 MPs have signed, it’s still insufficient to initiate impeachment proceedings. MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan stated the process would only move forward with at least two more signatures and active street protests.