The Strong Armenia party on Friday announced the official start of its election campaign for the parliamentary election on June 7.

The campaign started near the fence of the National Assembly Park.

There are many youth among the participants of the event. They are wearing hats and T-shirts with the party logo and the number 3—Strong Armenia’s number on the electoral ballot, and holding flags.

Speaking with reporters, Strong Armenia party coordinator Narek Karapetyan noted that 8 years ago on this day in this very building, Nikol Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister.

The people hoped for a better life. Pashinyan promised a fair system, prosperity and security, promised all villagers a good life. The promises were numerous. Eight years have passed, nothing has changed. Promising peace, he brought war, promising prosperity, people received huge debts and loans, promising to overcome poverty, he did not do it, and instead he distributed billions of drams in bonuses to himself and his entourage and employed his close ones.

“A small group won,” said Karapetyan, adding that 600 thousand Armenians barely make ends meet.

He noted the social part of their election platform, which prioritizes helping the vulnerable.

Speaking about the deterioration of Armenia’s relations with Russia, the politician reminded that it makes no sense to worsen relations with a trading partner to which most of the agricultural products in Armenia are exported, and where residents of Armenia’s places where there are no jobs go to work.

Narek Karapetyan promised that after coming to power, Strong Armenia party will continue to develop relations with France, and also sees great potential for work with the US. During the years of the ruling Civil Contract party's rule, Armenia’s trade relations with France have decreased by 20 percent, and exports to Russia are 400 times higher than in France.

The Strong Armenia party also proposes to reduce casino rates to discourage people from a disastrous habit and loss of property; $20 billion in casinos is comparable to the country's GDP.

Responding to a question about the difficulties in the Upper Lars checkpoint on the border between Russia and Georgia, Karapetyan recalled the advantages of Armenian trucks as a result of Armenia's membership in the EAEU, and mentioned the possibility of building an additional terminal at the checkpoint.

"These people [i.e. the Armenian authorities] are ready to populate Armenia with foreigners [i.e. Azerbaijanis], they will not be able to refuse [Azerbaijani president] Aliyev," Karapetyan said.

He called on all opposition forces in Armenia to work together for a change of power in the country, “so that this ‘building’ no longer reminds of sadness and defeat, but of hope.”

The politician added that Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan will spend most of the election campaign from home, as he is under house arrest as part of political persecution.

In turn, lawyer Gohar Meloyan noted that the location of the Strong Armenia party’s election campaign launch is symbolic, considering that all the troubles for Armenia began here, with Pashinyan being elected prime minister. She recalled Pashinyan’s promise to open the gates of parliament to people. “They opened [it] for a short time, then they closed [it] tightly,” Meloyan added.

She noted the huge problems facing Armenia’s population, from water shortages to high levels of extreme poverty, but the biggest problem remains security.

“The political force that caused the three September wars is threatening with war again in September,” Meloyan noted.

Addressing the gathering, former Ambassador Edgar Ghazaryan welcomed the attendees and congratulated them on the triple holiday—in fact canceled by the Armenian authorities: the liberation day of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Shushi city, the day of the formation of the Nagorno-Karabakh defense army, and the day of victory over Nazi Germany World War II. He then listed the failures of the incumbent Armenian authorities.

After talking to the media, the participants of the start of Strong Armenia party’s election campaign began a march through downtown Yerevan.

The results of the day will be summed up during an event to be held in the Armenian capital’s Victory Park. The choice of this venue is symbolic: the eve of the May 9 day of victory over Nazi Germany.