Concluding remarks delivered by Nikol Pashinyan at National Assembly special sitting held to vote for prime-ministerial candidate (video)

Thank you, dear colleagues.

To begin with, I will make a note. Over the past month, I have spoken for many hours from this rostrum about the Karabakh issue in terms of its content, I talked about the details of the war, I have talked about the transformations and reforms carried out in Armenia over the past three years, and I can state that we did not encounter any substantive retaliation following those remarks and recordings, which is very important. Nevertheless, I would like to touch upon two circumstances to emphasize the following: how come we said something when we were in opposition, and instead we made completely different statements after sweeping to power.

A key point on the electoral platform of Yelq (Exit) bloc was the introduction of a 20% flat income tax. To be honest, I did not have time to see the way our colleagues voted for the change, whether they voted for it or against it. They voted against. One of the Bloc’s most important provisions was the transition to the proportional electoral system, i.e. to political elections.

I remember that when the transition to the proportional electoral system was discussed of late in parliament, our esteemed colleagues showed their principled stance: excerpts of speeches appeared on the Internet, where people were “more principled” or, to be precise, were just saying the opposite. This list can be continued on and on, but I think these two examples are enough evidence of what we are talking about.

How principled have we been? I can say the following: We have not always sought our political interests. This is the truth, but we never departed from the values we have declared. Before the revolution, we announced that there would be no vendettas, and there were no vendettas. Yes, we talked about justice, but I say again, “there will be no vendettas.”

We promised that there would be no staff massacre; we promised that everyone would have the opportunity to build a new Armenia. Now they give Osipyan in our face, why only Osipyan, they could have cited other examples as well. But against this background, I wish to tell you what happened to My Step faction.

After going through severe trials, the 88-strong My Step faction is more united today than ever. We have fulfilled our greatest mission and we are returning to the voters the powers received from them. Those sitting in this part of the hall (left) have no shared businesses or any other shadow connections. Values and principles is what these people have in common.

Views were voiced in November, October, and even as early as in September that 20, 23 My Step faction members could well be re-recruited for 5 million, 10 million, or 50 million dollars. I do not know where they put it, but we saw what happened to the My Step faction, and we will see where those who left it for patriotic concerns will end up. I think they have already arrived.

In this regard, I would like to thank the My Step faction, because it proved that talking about values and principles is not just a toast, but something existent in the 21st century Armenia. And this is a fact that our people, society ought to be proud of. Let us look back at our parliament’s history. We went through the tests of 1998 and 1999: there were factions with people who having passed the hardest tests eventually gave in to the temptation. People are not forgiven for their firm determination to withstand the most severe temptation. We are not forgiven exactly for that, because many do not understand why people refuse to sell their services when there are the highest prices at the stock exchange.

This is a day of greatest victory for us, the greatest victory of our people, the greatest victory of eternal values, the greatest victory of morality, the greatest victory of the Republic of Armenia, the greatest victory of the future. And again I address words of gratitude to the My Step faction on behalf of the people of the Republic of Armenia.

Thank you. And let no one doubt that there is a future, there is a future in Armenia. Thank you.