He lambasted Vartan Ghukasian when answering a question from a pro-government parliamentarian who accused the mayor of claiming credit for infrastructure projects financed by the Armenian government and undermining Armenia’s sovereignty with “pro-Russian” statements.
“We must throw out those who make statements against the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia from the political and public arena through political methods and those methods that are applicable in a democratic country. I am convinced that this will happen,” Pashinian said during the government’s question-and-answer session in the parliament.
Gyumri’s new municipal council appointed Ghukasian as mayor after four opposition groups collectively defeated Pashinian’s party in the March 30 election. The 64-year-old, who had already governed the city from 1999 to 2012, has denounced Pashinian’s foreign policy as pro-Turkish and said Armenia must not only repair but also deepen its relations with Russia.
Pashinian also questioned the legitimacy of the election results that marked a serious setback for his political team.
“I think we also have a problem with the election results,” he said. “We know that election bribes were distributed there, and we need to have mechanisms to exclude such cases in the future.”
Ghukasian held a news conference later in the day to hit back at Pashinian and insist that closer ties with Russia would only strengthen Armenia’s independence.
“If the prime minister says such things from the country’s number one podium, then I will tell the Armenian people to look at whom they elected prime minister,” he said.
Ghukasian is currently facing a number of criminal charges mostly related to his past tenure. None of those accusations rejected by him as politically motivated stems from vote buying alleged by Pashinian.
Three weeks ago, Ghukasian’s son Spartak was briefly detained on extortion charges denied by him. A Gyumri court moved him to house arrest against investigators’ wishes.
Ghukasian claimed on September 16 that the criminal case is aimed at intimidating him and his family. He said he will not bow to the pressure.
“I'm not that type, I'm not one of those who are afraid. Whatever they want to do, however they want to do it, every place is a man's place,” the mayor told journalists, seemingly alluding to his possible imprisonment.