Armenia’s leading opposition Hayastan parliamentary faction has drafted a bill calling for a no-confidence vote designed to oust Alen Simonyan as National Assembly Speaker.

Faction Secretary Artsvik Minasyan announced the news today at a parliamentary press briefing, arguing that Simonyan is unfit for the job both domestically and internationally.

Minasyan said that Simonyan has made statements in the international arena regarding Armenian POWs and MIAs that harm Armenia’s foreign policy and defense capabilities. The opposition MP did not elaborate on the matter.

Minasyan, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), also accused Simonyan of discriminating against opposition MPs and not being able to maintain parliamentary order.

Simonyan, a close ally of PM Nikol Pashinyan, described the Hayastan faction’s no-confidence vote proposal as “a culmination of the opposition’s impotence”.

Opposition With Honor faction MP Taguhie Tovmasyan said the faction will vote in favor of the bill calling for a no-confidence vote. The faction holds six seats in the Armenian legislature.

MP Arusyak Julhakyan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract faction, accused the opposition of “staging political shows” and manipulating the POW issue.

Civil Contract MP Vahagn Aleksanyan said ruling factions 71 deputies are united in their support of Simonyan and ridiculed the opposition’s bill as a “cheap political maneuver”.