PM candidate Nikol Pashinyan says he will not put issue of withdrawing from EAEU if elected

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. MP Nikol Pashinyan, who has been officially nominated by the Yelk faction as candidate for the Prime Minister of Armenia, says he will not put the issue of withdrawing from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) if elected, reports Armenpress.

“If you are an opposition, which doesn’t have a chance to discuss the issues existing in this or that structure at the executive level of that structure, in other words, with the respective leadership of countries, one of the options is to voice about these issues so that they will receive a response. But when you are a leadership, you have an opportunity to document the issues, discuss them with partner countries and patiently solve all issues in the atmosphere of dialogue. I am convinced the discussions will lead to positive results. We are not going to put the issue of withdrawing from the EAEU. But this doesn’t mean that we say there are no problems there”, Nikol Pashinyan told reporters in the Parliament before the meetings with factions on April 30.

On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day.

On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned.

First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan – leader of the opposition – on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament.

On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties.

Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party – the Republican Party of Armenia – RPA – said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament – urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans.

An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the RPA executive bodies the issue of changing the party’s president.

The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1.

“In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliament’s rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law,” Speaker Ara Babloyan said.

According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament.

The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan.

On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election.

The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed “the people’s candidate”.

On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1.

The opposition Yelk faction officially nominated Pashinyan for the upcoming PM election. The three other factions – the RPA, Tsarukyan, and ARF, announced they will not nominate a candidate.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan