On April 1, Vilen Gabrielyan, a former Member of Parliament representing Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Party, announced his resignation on Tuesday following a public scandal in Gyumri, where he was caught swearing at a Euromedia24 journalist while intoxicated.
The drunken scandal came as Pashinyan’s party failed to win the tightly contested local election in Gyumri. The tense verbal exchanges took place near Civil Contract’s election campaign headquarters in Armenia’s second-largest city.
Gabrielyan was spotted and approached by Koryun Simonyan of the Euromedia24.com news service. The latter tried to determine whether he was indeed drunk. Gabrielyan responded with swear words, demanding that Simonyan not publish a video of their conversation filmed by him. “There is going to be a regime change in 2026. Why should I give up my parliament seat now?” replied Gabrielyan.
Gabrielyan was a member of the parliamentary committee on defense and security, which gave him access to classified state information.
In a statement, Gabrielyan emphasized the importance of political accountability, stating: “Dear compatriots, I firmly believe that the culture of political responsibility is crucial in governance. It requires willpower and determination—qualities I have always upheld. However, I consider my recent actions in Gyumri last Sunday to be unworthy of a National Assembly deputy. An MP must conduct themselves with dignity and refrain from inappropriate behavior.”
Gabrielyan went on to issue a formal apology and confirmed his decision to step down.
“Accordingly, I publicly apologize to all of you and officially announce my resignation from the National Assembly. I will submit my resignation letter to the parliamentary staff today in accordance with established procedures.”
Despite stepping down, Gabrielyan revealed his intention to continue his political career in a different capacity.
“At the same time, I declare that I am self-nominating for the upcoming elections of the ‘Civil Contract’ party board. I am convinced that our party is in urgent need of renewal and transformation.”
Quoting renowned Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak, he concluded his statement with a poetic remark: “For the sake of tomorrow’s truth, let me be wrong today. Stay vigilant—cool-headed, balanced, strong, and resilient.”
