Maneuvering towards snap election, ruling bloc formally re-nominates Pashinyan for first round of vote

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. The ruling My Step bloc announced that it has nominated the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for prime minister as a formality in the upcoming first round of vote in parliament required to dissolve parliament ahead of expected snap election.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on April 25 – a move intended to pave way for snap election.

The decision on holding snap election of parliament was reached after Pashinyan held discussons in March with the President and the opposition.

The entire Cabinet also resigned.

Holding early elections requires the dissolution of parliament, which in turn can happen when the legislature fails twice to elect a prime minister after the incumbent steps down in two rounds of voting.

Pashinyan said during his resignation that his bloc will formally nominate and subsequently vote him down during both votings in order to maintain the technical requirements to disband the legislature.

Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan released a statement on April 26 notifying that by law the parliament will convene an emergency session on May 3 for the first round of vote.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan