Yerevan Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan today said that those now protesting in the Armenian capital against a border deal with Azerbaijan have nothing of substance to offer as an alternative and have no chance of seizing national power.

Grigoryan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract party, accused Armenian Apostolic Church Tavush Primate Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and other protest movement leaders of populist sloganeering to garner more supporters.

Opposition parties in Armenia have publicly backed the protest movement that wants to introduce a no-confidence vote against PM Nikol Pashinyan in the parliament.

Galstanyan last week demanded that Pashinyan resign and gave him one hour to do so.

Grigoryan said citizens will not be duped by the lies spread by Galstanyan.

The deputy mayor said the protest leaders want to circumvent the constitution by seeking power not via special elections but by failed pressure tactics.