Officials are facing criticism from the public amidst recent events. On November 22, the head of the “Mother Armenia” group, Manuk Sukiasian, held a press conference in Yerevan where he expressed that it is not important what the minister did or did not do, but rather the need for objective evaluations. Sukiasian highlighted the importance of holding ministers accountable and stated that non-governmental organizations like “Mother Armenia” can no longer endorse talks about accountability and organize protests if steps are not taken to address this issue. During the conference, a member of the ruling party solely spoke on behalf of their party.

Yesterday, a report by NEWS.am indicated that during the Armenian National Security Party conference, leader Ani Khachatrian threw water at Sonna Aghakian, a member of the “Mother Armenia” group. This resulted in a physical altercation, with Khachatrian ultimately slapping Aghakian in the face. Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan called for an immediate end to the conference and its livestream. He also requested an explanation for the incident and informed the attendees that the conference would resume the following day.

Today, Prime Minister Avinyan addressed the previous day’s incident, stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, there will be time for discussions later.” This statement came after members of the ruling party engaged in a water-throwing exchange amongst themselves.