Campaigning in the run-up to the June parliamentary election in Armenia intensified over the weekend.

A bus carrying representatives of the ruling Civil Contract party headed for the provinces of Lori, Gegharkunik, and Kotayk.

They were met by hugs in places and complaints in others. In the Some went as far as to shut their doors when Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan attempted to greet them. 

Pashinyan on the campaign trail (from his live FB post)

Former Armenian president Robert Kocharian, met with young people and answered their questions in Yerevan. He joked that he only learned to operate a phone and computer in 2009.

"For my generation, an educated and smart person was the one who remembered a lot. Now, with iPhones, it's pointless to remember all that information. I do not see that our educational system has adapted to such changes. They try to evaluate students and schoolchildren using the old model," Kocharyan said.

He also spoke about his musical tastes and physical training.

Kocharyan makes the rounds (from his FB page)

The ‘Strong Armenia with Samvel Karapetyan’ alliance held a rally in Yerevan on Saturday.

Photo of rally (Strong Armenia Alliance FB page)

Since the de facto leader of alliance, Samvel Karapetyan, is under house arrest, his video message was shown at the rally. According to Karapetyan's supporters, it was filmed, and not AI generated like the previous one.