Pashinian has since not given a clear reason for removing the previous parliament speaker and his longtime political ally, Alen Simonian. The new assembly convened almost two months after parliamentary elections won by Civil Contract, according to their official results rejected by the Armenian opposition as fraudulent. Lawmakers representing the two opposition blocs that won parliament seats repeated the fraud claims during the session that began on Sunday. “Yes, Mr. Rubinian, the opposition did not win the June 7 elections … but the incumbent authorities didn’t win either. “This parliament has a very serious problem with its legitimacy, and so does the government formed by this parliament,” he said.