Arguing that Armenian National Assembly is no longer an effective platform to oppose “the destructive actions” of the Pashinyan government, With Honor faction head MP Artur Vanetsyan today announced that he is relinquishing his mandate.

“This decision of mine is not a surprise to many of you. I have publicly stated several times that I do not see myself in this parliament anymore! The reason is obvious. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia had voted for us to stop the destructive activity of these authorities, to bring the country out of the disaster. However, in my opinion, this parliament has ceased to be an effective platform for achieving the goal,” Vanetsyan wrote in a Facebook post.

Vanetsyan, a former director of Armenia’s National Security Service, also announced that his Hayrenik (Homeland) party has decided to continue its work outside the parliament, thus putting an end to the With Honor faction it had created with the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

“The parliamentary mandate has never been an end in itself for me. It was just a tool to serve our country and statehood. A tool that is no longer applicable to me today! Today we are on the verge of losing the homeland. We have no right to make mistakes anymore. There is no alternative to the struggle, as I have mentioned many times. Today, in the struggle for the Armenian people, Armenia and Artsakh, there are no party flags, dividing lines and statuses. This is our nationwide struggle. We, the members of the Homeland "party, will continue it together with our people,” Vanetsyan wrote.

With his resignation, the With Honor faction is left with five MPs – four RPA members and one non-party.

Vanetsyan says the five remaining MPs must now decide what to do.

Vanetsyan was the first opposition MP to call for the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan. He later said that if the opposition didn’t achieve regime change, he’d quit the parliament.

Hayastan (Armenia) and With Honor MPs have boycotted the parliament for weeks.