On 17 November, Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian stated that early elections were needed in the country.

“Taking into consideration the current situation and the imperative to overcome it with dignity, also listening to the public demand, it is obvious that in order to keep the country from jolting, early elections for the National Assembly will be inevitable,” he said. 

In Sarkissian’s opinion, the only responsible approach may be that the government and the dominant political force objectively assess their potential and soon present a roadmap that will give deadlines for initiating relevant constitutional processes to allow for early parliamentary elections.  He also said that governing would be handed over to any “highly qualified government of national accord.” The deputies from the ruling My Step faction did not react to Sarkissian’s statement.

It was also reported that the special session of Armenia’s parliament initiated by the opposition to discuss the lifting of martial law and the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was cancelled due to the lack of a quorum, as some of the majoritarian My Step deputies were absent. 

“We have no moral right to discuss any other issue. Now we have a historic mission – hold Nikol Pashinyan’s hand until he has not managed to commit other destructions. Nikol Pashinyan, the leader who kneeled before Turk cannot stay. Civil war will not be in our country. We have no alternative,” stated the lawmaker from the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction Naira Zohrabyan. 

The leader of the opposition Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan stated that Armenians were still being captured, even after the signing of the trilateral statement. “There is information that during the past two days sabotage groups are penetrating to Karvatchar. It is a violation, who must speak about it? The parliament must consider the trilateral statement and inform that since the points in the signed statement have already been violated, Armenia, for instance, must reserve… the right to review the expediency of exiting the Lachin corridor,” he added. 

A deputy of the ruling My Step party and the chairman of Defence and Security Affairs Standing Committee Andranik Kocharyan said that the country’s Defence Minister David Tonoyan should have resigned from his post following the signing of the agreement. “Not resigning immediately after shows that they absolutely do not realise what they did and where this failure will lead us to. If [these] people remain unpunished such phenomena will not only continue in our army but will become serious threat for Armenia’s security,” he stated. 

The leader of the My Step parliamentary faction Lilith Makunts dismissed opposition demands. “By stirring up such emotions now that our officials are holding negotiations and very important processes are unfolding with respect to Karabakh one does not demonstrate a patriotic and statesmanlike position,” she said. It was also reported that the country’s Emergency Situations Minister Felix Tsolakyan submitted his resignation from the post, as well as the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, who said that he submitted his resignation on 10 November.