Andranik Kocharyan’s Absence Interrupted the Budget Discussion in the National Assembly
An unexpected recess occurred today in the National Assembly during the discussion of the draft state budget for 2026: Andranik Kocharyan, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security Affairs, who was scheduled to present a report at that very moment, was not present in the hall.
NA Speaker Alen Simonyan announced a 20-minute break, while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was in the hall, reacted to the situation with displeasure and left the premises.
In a conversation with journalists after the session, Andranik Kocharyan clarified the incident, noting that the occurrence was a technical issue because the secretariat staff had failed to inform him that his speech was next.
“He said that those 20 minutes were a pity. I also think those 20 minutes were a pity,” Kocharyan noted, referring to the Prime Minister’s reaction.
This incident raises questions about internal organizational shortcomings within the highest state bodies, which lead to the inefficient use of working time. Simultaneously, it can also be viewed as an example highlighting internal tensions and contradictions present within the political team. Regardless of the actual cause—whether technical failure or internal political tension—the event reveals concerning issues related to the effectiveness of the state apparatus’s operation.