Armenia’s Ruling Party Ousts Alen Simonyan, Nominates Ruben Rubinyan as Speaker

Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has nominated Deputy Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan to become the next Speaker of the National Assembly, replacing Alen Simonyan after the party opted against granting him another term despite his bid for re-election.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the decision Thursday following a meeting of the party’s governing board, saying Rubinyan was chosen through a secret ballot.

“As a result of a discussion and a secret ballot, Ruben Rubinyan was elected as our candidate for the Speaker of the National Assembly,” Pashinyan told reporters.

Rubinyan said the nomination carries “a great responsibility” and thanked party members for their confidence.

The decision brings an end to Simonyan’s four-year tenure as speaker, a period filled with repeated controversies. During his time in office, Simonyan drew criticism over confrontations with opposition lawmakers, activists and protesters, including a widely publicized 2023 incident in which he spat at a protester after the man had been restrained by security officers. He was also criticized on multiple occasions for publicly insulting opposition figures and government critics.

Rubinyan, 36, has served as one of parliament’s deputy speakers since 2021 and is best known internationally as Armenia’s chief negotiator in normalization talks with Turkey. A close ally of Pashinyan, he has played a prominent role in parliamentary debates and has also faced criticism from the opposition. Earlier this year, Rubinyan said the authorities would not allow the opposition to win the parliamentary elections, a remark that sparked political backlash.

The nomination follows Armenia’s disputed June 7 parliamentary election, the results of which have been rejected by the country’s main opposition forces. Opposition parties allege widespread electoral fraud and have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the vote. According to the official results, only two opposition alliances won seats in the new parliament, and neither has announced whether it will take up its mandates.

If confirmed by lawmakers when the new parliament convenes, Rubinyan will become speaker as Armenia begins a new parliamentary term under continued political tensions and lingering disputes over the legitimacy of the election.

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