Opposition MP on May 28 military parade: Armenian authorities have  turned the Armed Forces into a campaign tool

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities have turned the Armenian Armed Forces into an election campaign tool, as stated by  Gegham Manukyan, an MP from the opposition Armenia faction and member of the parliamentary Standing  Committee on Defense and Security, regarding the upcoming military  parade in Yerevan on May 28.

In this regard, Manukyan questioned whether the parade would have  taken place if not for the June parliamentary elections in Armenia.  He recalled that for years, the current government had been asked why  they weren't holding a parade, to which they responded that it  contradicted the peace agenda. "It turns out that either the peace  agenda no longer exists, or securing votes in the parliamentary  elections has now become the priority," the lawmaker noted in a video  posted to his Facebook page.

Furthermore, Manukyan noted that while the authorities have boasted  about purchasing new military equipment over the past several years,  they previously insisted it could not be displayed due to  confidentiality. He recalled that in recent months, only a select  group of individuals who had signed non- disclosure agreements were  granted access to the equipment. "What has changed today that they  are now ready to fill Republic Square and the center of Yerevan with  this hardware? Moreover, they announced that it will be on display  for more than just a single day," the opposition MP highlighted.

The lawmaker also observed that while ordinary citizens viewing the  equipment will not be able to provide a professional assessment,  industry experts still have numerous unanswered questions.  "For  instance, how much ammunition is available, and will it suffice in  the event of military operations?  Let me remind you that in 2019, it  was claimed that the famous Su-30 fighter jets—in which Pashinyan  took selfies—were ready for combat duty, only for it to be revealed  later that they lacked missile launch pylons. This is to say nothing  of the disgraceful acquisition of the Osa-AK missile systems in 2019,  an issue on which their own investigative committee promptly sent a  memorandum to the Prosecutor General's Office. They have turned the  Armenian Armed Forces into a campaign tool—into a prop, a bubble, a  drum for the authorities. In this contrast, the question arises once  again: how low can the government sink for votes, turning the army  into an electoral instrument?" Manukyan asked.

The MP emphasized that never before in Armenian history has a  military parade led to social polarization.  "For us, the parade has  always been a source of pride, but now many conscientious people are  concerned because they understand that the army is the guarantor of  our country's security, not just a tool for the authorities to win  votes in elections. Glory to the Armenian Army, the main guarantor of  the Republic of Armenia's security. Eternal memory to our martyrs,"  the opposition leader concluded.

Recall, Armenia celebrates First Republic Day on May 28. On this day,  a parade will be held in Republic Square, where the country's  authorities will showcase the newly acquired weapons. It's worth  noting that the last large-scale military parade in Armenia took  place on September 21, 2016, in Republic Square in Yerevan, following  the four-day April War of 2016.