We will soon discuss the matter of the opposition candidate for the post of deputy speaker of Armenia’s parliament. Samvel Karapetyan, the leader of the opposition Strong Armenia Alliance, told this to reporters Thursday, answering a question from Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Karapetyan said that this matter had not been discussed yet. He reiterated that the Constitutional Court of Armenia has confirmed that the accusations of vote buying by the Strong Armenia Alliance are unfounded. Karapetyan added that these statements are aimed at distracting attention from vote buying by the authorities—and in the amount of several billion.

According to the leader of the aforesaid opposition force, the failures of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will only deepen day by day, as he is losing touch with reality.

“I have already said that there will be a trigger that the opposition will take advantage of. We are waiting for the fatal mistakes of the authorities, and on that day the opposition, including [Prosperous Armenia Party chairman—and business tycoon—Gagik] Tsarukyan [who is under arrest], will speak out,” noted Samvel Karapetyan. The Armenian opposition member assured that it is impossible to scare him and opposition "Armenia" Alliance leader, ex-President Robert Kocharyan with prison, so the authorities should think of something new if they are planning something against them.

Commenting on the latest prank call made to OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu by two Russian pranksters allegedly acting on behalf of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the Strong Armenia Alliance noted that European organizations have been helping Pashinyan for a year now, both in his fight against the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian opposition. Separately, as per Samvel Karapetyan, the withdrawal of 106 MP candidates from the electoral list of their alliance is part of a secret plan, and all of these people remain its supporters, and since they have gone through repression, they cannot be considered unreliable.

“This is simply our political strategy. Such a decision was made also to protect them from possible repression,” the Armenian opposition politician stated, expressing confidence that none of them will join the authorities. And responding to the statements by the Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan regarding Samvel Karapetyan’s sons and nephews not serving in the Armenian army, Karapetyan said that his sons and nephews have done hundreds of thousands of times more for the Armenian army than Papikyan would have done even in 5,000 years, if he had lived that long.

“Therefore, let Papikyan think about himself. My sons and nephews did not serve in the [Armenian] army for a good reason,” concluded Samvel Karapetyan.