YEREVAN – A prominent member of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has publicly acknowledged a significant internal division, suggesting that a fellow deputy’s independent stance is at odds with the party’s current direction.
In comments to journalists, lawmaker Hovik Aghazaryan characterized the party’s recent posture as a “fight against windmills,” albeit in a positive sense. The remarks centered on fellow deputy Hayk Sargsyan, whom Aghazaryan described as a “leader with a feature” but indicated that such individuality now requires standardization within the party framework.
While acknowledging Sargsyan’s “honest motives” and “noble arts,” Aghazaryan confirmed he had expressed disagreements with the deputy’s forecasts. He noted that National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has also voiced opposition to Sargsyan’s views, but has taken the debate into a “different dimension.”
The situation appears to be reaching a tipping point. Aghazaryan predicted that Sargsyan will ultimately leave the party, framing the choice as one between conformity and departure. He asserted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is fully aware of and values Simonyan’s loyalty, suggesting that the Speaker’s perceived “divine greatness” and merits are recognized at the highest levels of leadership.
Aghazaryan admitted he is not privy to all the details of the discussions among deputies but confirmed a clear schism is developing. The public airing of these internal disagreements points to a ongoing consolidation of power and a narrowing of acceptable discourse within the ruling party’s ranks.
