Samvel Babayan Awaits Pashinyan's Approval

The 'Pahst' newspaper reports that the signature collection initiative led by Samvel Babayan in Artsakh has concluded, yet his team is not in a hurry to submit the signatures to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). They plan to present them in the coming days.

The legal timeframe for submitting the applications has not yet expired, and during this period, the initiative members are refining the signature sheets. It is expected that around 17,000 to 18,000 signatures will be submitted to the CEC, which must also verify them from a legal and procedural standpoint.

Babayan's office remains silent on the next steps, subtly indicating that much depends on Prime Minister Pashinyan's upcoming visit to Artsakh. Babayan had stated a year ago that his political activity in Artsakh hinges on Pashinyan's decisions, and today he seeks a definitive stance from the premier regarding his political future.

Moreover, it's noteworthy that days ago, the head of the National Assembly’s legal and state affairs committee and a member of the My Step faction, Vladimir Vardanyan, remarked during a press conference in Stepanakert that Babayan's signature collection initiative poses legal challenges. This has been interpreted in political and academic circles as a message from Pashinyan.

For more details, refer to today's issue of the newspaper.