The Zhoghovurd newspaper of Armenia writes as follows: Tension in the political field [of Armenia] is increasing day by day. Ahead of the 2026 [parliamentary] elections, the ruling team seems to have entered an offensive phase.

The Zhoghovurd daily’s sources from the CC [i.e. the ruling Civil Contract Party and its parliamentary faction] report that [PM] Nikol Pashinyan’s clear order is one: to destroy everyone who might even have a small chance of appearing in the next parliament.

Within the CC there is frequent discussion of the strategy to "cleanse the political field" through directed campaigns at opposition and neutral figures, media attacks, and public discrediting attempts.

It is no coincidence that yesterday the head of the prime minister’s office, Arayik Harutyunyan, was personally criticizing former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan.

The latter, let us recall, yesterday gave a rather promising start to his political processes, confidently answering the sometimes sharp and pressing questions from reporters at a press conference.

According to our information, it is figures like Tatoyan who are perceived inside the CC as dangerous rivals. For that reason high-ranking officials from the ruling camp have launched counter-propaganda campaigns on social media and in the press.

Political analysts note [that] the conduct of the authorities now resembles not a competitive model but a model of pressure: the CC does not intend to tolerate any alternative and is ready to take every step to just push rivals out of the political field. The authorities are prepared to destroy everyone and everything just to be able to retain power next year.