MP Samvel Alexanyan to vote in favor of "people's candidate" for PM

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. Ruling Republican Party’s (RPA) faction MP Samvel Alexanyan will vote in favor of"the people's candidate" for the position of Prime Minister of Armenia, reports Armenpress.

“I have decided to vote in favor of the people’s candidate”, the lawmaker told reporters in the Parliament.

Asked whether this means that he supports Yelk faction head Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy for PM, the lawmaker said: “In other words, when I say that I support the people’s candidate, what does that mean?” MP Alexanyan avoided to mention Pashinyan’s name.

Commenting on Pashinyan’s statement according to which he will eliminate the monopolies if elected as PM, MP Alexanyan stated: “That will be right. I have no monopoly. I support his statement to eliminate all monopolies”.

After nearly 9 hours of debates on electing a Prime Minister on May 1, with opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan being the sole candidate, the Armenian parliament failed to make the election as 56 lawmakers voted against and 45 lawmakers voted in favor.

The second round of the election for Prime Minister will take place May 8, at 12:00 in the Armenian parliament.

The ruling Republican Party (RPA) announced that they will not nominate a candidate for PM and will support the candidate nominated by the 1/3 of the total MPs.

Tsarukyan, ARF and Yelk factions nominated Pashinyan’s candidacy for the position.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan