19-06-2025, 11:42 AM
The Grand Coalition collapses; snap elections to be held soon
5548 March
Hortus — The political crisis that has been growing in the governing coalition of SDK (Social Democratic Party) and the conservative AEA (Freedom and Justice) for several months has met its climax yesterday, when urban development minister Hayrabed Mikaelian resigned in protest of SDK plans to draft a legislation raising the minimum wage. Although the “Grand Coalition” of two parties has been ruling the country for almost 12 years, the divide between them has been growing visibly, especially on issues of social legislation. After the “Worker's Bill” was passed by the legislature in 5576, ensuring minimal safety standards on factories and guaranteeing the right to form labor unions, no further reforms were planned until Prime Minister Mamigon Avetisyan announced plans to raise minimum wage from 5,25 to 8,5 PON. This move has caused opposition by the conservatives, with the leader of the party Arnag Assarian accusing prime minister of being a political chameleon.
This caused several conservative ministers to resign, ultimately leading the king to dissolve parliament and call for snap elections. This move was met with understanding, considering the gridlock that has been forming in the legislature for the last two sessions. “They can't quite agree on many things”, a political analyst from Majatra university Ovsanna Gevorgyan told us, “the coalition was formed to help transition the country to democracy, but it was never meant to live for long. It's quite impressive that they were able to work together for 11 years <...>, but this outcome was inevitable.”
Smaller parties see potential gains from snap elections, expecting voters to trust them over the major two parties. In the memos send to the members of the progressive party, irs leadership of the Asxatankayin Xowmb (Worker's Group) calls its members and volunteers to start campaigning alongside with the working class and farmers, informing people about “the ineffectiveness of the government that has used our nation for its own greedy interests”.
5548 March
Hortus — The political crisis that has been growing in the governing coalition of SDK (Social Democratic Party) and the conservative AEA (Freedom and Justice) for several months has met its climax yesterday, when urban development minister Hayrabed Mikaelian resigned in protest of SDK plans to draft a legislation raising the minimum wage. Although the “Grand Coalition” of two parties has been ruling the country for almost 12 years, the divide between them has been growing visibly, especially on issues of social legislation. After the “Worker's Bill” was passed by the legislature in 5576, ensuring minimal safety standards on factories and guaranteeing the right to form labor unions, no further reforms were planned until Prime Minister Mamigon Avetisyan announced plans to raise minimum wage from 5,25 to 8,5 PON. This move has caused opposition by the conservatives, with the leader of the party Arnag Assarian accusing prime minister of being a political chameleon.
This caused several conservative ministers to resign, ultimately leading the king to dissolve parliament and call for snap elections. This move was met with understanding, considering the gridlock that has been forming in the legislature for the last two sessions. “They can't quite agree on many things”, a political analyst from Majatra university Ovsanna Gevorgyan told us, “the coalition was formed to help transition the country to democracy, but it was never meant to live for long. It's quite impressive that they were able to work together for 11 years <...>, but this outcome was inevitable.”
Smaller parties see potential gains from snap elections, expecting voters to trust them over the major two parties. In the memos send to the members of the progressive party, irs leadership of the Asxatankayin Xowmb (Worker's Group) calls its members and volunteers to start campaigning alongside with the working class and farmers, informing people about “the ineffectiveness of the government that has used our nation for its own greedy interests”.