Should Suren Papikyan Resign? A Journalist's Question to a Ruling Party MP

In an interview with 24News, Gagik Melkonyan, a member of the ruling party's faction in the National Assembly, addressed the causes of the fire that broke out at the barracks of the engineering battalion of the RA Ministry of Defense's military unit number N, located in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik region, which resulted in the death of 15 servicemen. He stated that the incident was a result of violations of fire safety regulations.

“The General Staff and the fire safety department should have checked everything in advance to prevent this incident from happening. According to reports, there were makeshift heaters on the windows, and how can there be a gasoline heater in the soldiers' sleeping quarters? Where were the guards? These are all questions, and there needs to be an official investigation so that everyone is held accountable for their actions,” remarked Melkonyan.

When asked whether Defense Minister Suren Papikyan should resign after this incident, the ruling party MP expressed the opinion that just because there is a violation in one military unit does not mean that the Defense Minister or the Chief of the General Staff should resign. “There are many services and links that should have prevented all this, and those services should be held accountable. The attention of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff should be focused on such matters so that similar issues do not arise. Such oversights cost lives; therefore, they need to be very attentive,” Melkonyan concluded.