First round of expected ‘failed election’ of PM to be held October 24 after Pashinyan’s maneuvered resignation

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, ARMENPRESS. The first round of electing a prime minister will be held October 24, eight days after Nikol Pashinyan announced his resignation in a technical maneuver to trigger the dissolution of the incumbent parliament.

Under the law, parliamentary factions have seven days after the resignation to nominate a candidate.

The election takes place during a special session, but since the parliament will be holding regular sessions next week, the October 24 first round of election will take place within the framework of the ordinary sitting.

All factions have agreed that they won’t nominate candidates.

In an earlier statement, Pashinyan had said that his candidacy might be nominated in the first round as a formality in a pre-arranged scenario of not being elected.

Under the constitution, the parliament gets disbanded in the event of failing to elect a prime minister twice.

A second round of election takes place seven days after the first one.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan