Pashinyan calls on supporters to halt demonstrations on Election Day

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, who has been nominated as a candidate for Prime Minister in the May 1 election, urged his supporters not to carry out demonstrations and protests on election day.

“No need to block streets, no need to have a mood of protest, don’t do any action. You need to gather in Republic Square [Yerevan] at 11:00 and organize a celebration,” Pashinyan told his crowd of supporters during an evening rally in Yerevan’s central square.

Pashinyan said the extraordinary session of parliament, where the voting will take place, will be broadcast live and screened for the public in the Republic Square.

He stressed that it doesn’t matter who the Prime Minister will be.

“What matters is that the people have taken the power of the country into their own hands”, he said, adding that the world is admiring the developments in Armenia.

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.

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

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.

On April 30 the opposition Yelk faction officially nominated Pashinyan for the upcoming PM election. The three other factions – the HHK, Tsarukyan, and ARF, announced they will not nominate a candidate.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (HHK) faction, the ruling party of Armenia, has 58 seats in the 105-seat unicameral parliament of Armenia – known as the National Assembly. The ARF faction – (Armenian Revolutionary Federation aka Dashnaktsutyun), has 7 seats. The Tsarukyan alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan