ArmInfo. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan believes that the Civil Contract party's proportional list for the 2026 parliamentary elections should be headed by party members, despite the fact that the law allows for 30% of candidates to be non- partisan. He made this statement today, October 30, during a briefing.
IN this regard, the Minister noted that, according to the Electoral Code, the first 30 candidates on the list will be determined by the highest body of the party assembly. Torosyan clarified that this will be done through secret voting. "The candidate for the post of prime minister is determined by the assembly, and it becomes the candidate who heads the list, that is, the first number," Torosyan added. Regarding the possibility of forming new cadres, the Minister emphasized that he sees nothing wrong with recruiting new colleagues. However, he noted that if a candidate is not a member of the Civil Contract party, they will need a recommendation from at least one party representative. "As for fellow party members, any of them can be included on the list," the Minister of Social Development and Labor added.
Additionally, Torosyan stated that he does not intend to guarantee membership to anyone, as he believes the list should be headed exclusively by party members.
The Minister also touched on the party's rather high membership fees of 1.5 million drams upon joining, and pointed out that the party's budget is formed from membership fees, which constitute 3% of party members' salaries. According to him, the calculation is designed so that those who were not previously members of the ruling party will cover the amount paid by an ordinary party representative over the course of a year. "Thus, those who are not party members do not pay membership fees, which amount to approximately 1 million drams annually. Therefore, the difference in fees compensates for these funds," the Minister said.
He also assured that there is currently no reason to hold early parliamentary elections and expressed confidence that their political force will once again gain a majority in the 2026 parliamentary elections.
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