Armenian parliament elects Rubinyan as speaker

Ruben Rubinyan of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party was elected speaker of the National Assembly on Monday during the inaugural session of the parliament's ninth convocation, securing the position with 63 votes in favor and 28 against as opposition factions refused to participate in the process.

Of the 105 lawmakers in the unicameral legislature, 91 participated in the ballot with no invalid votes cast, according to Lilit Minasyan, who chairs the parliament's counting commission. The election followed the resignation of the previous government, a constitutional requirement triggered when a newly elected parliament convenes for its first session.

Opposition boycott

The Armenia alliance announced ahead of the vote that it would not participate in the speaker election, while the Strong Armenia faction stated it would vote against the ruling party's nominee. Despite their absence, Rubinyan secured a clear majority to claim the post, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Cabinet set to continue serving in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed.

Türkiye normalization talks

Rubinyan has served as one of the chamber's deputy speakers since 2021 and also acts as Yerevan's special envoy for normalization talks with Türkiye. The diplomatic track, which has faced numerous challenges since its 2022 launch, aims to establish diplomatic relations and open borders between the two neighboring countries after decades of hostility.