YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not tender his resignation today, PM’s spokesperson Arman Yeghoyan told Tert.am online newspaper.

Yeghoyan was asked if Pashinyan is planning to resign because in an earlier interview to France24 he had said that he will resign by October 16 in order to trigger the process of calling early elections of parliament.

“First of all I would like to remind what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had said entirely. He emphasized that according to preliminary information, if early elections are to be held December 9-10, it would require him to tender his resignation within the timeframe you mentioned. But if the election day, for example, get shifted by two, three or five days, then the resignation timeframe also changes, it will happen soon,” Yeghoyan said.

He said that the resignation day is also connected to several other issues which are currently being worked on.

Under the law, the incumbent parliament will be dissolved in the event of failing to elect a new prime minister twice after the incumbent PM resigns.

Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyan’s Republican Party (HHK) still has most seats in parliament. Since taking office, PM Nikol Pashinyan has numerously said that the incumbent parliament doesn’t represent the people and that early elections should take place as soon as possible.

Below is an excerpt from Article 149 of the Constitution of Armenia on Election and Appointment of the Prime Minister:

“In case the Prime Minister submits a resignation or in other cases of the office of the Prime Minister becoming vacant, the factions of the National Assembly shall be entitled to nominate candidates for Prime Minister within a period of seven days after accepting the resignation of the Government. The National Assembly shall elect the Prime Minister by majority of votes of the total number of Deputies [Members of Parliament]. In case Prime Minister is not elected, a new election of Prime Minister shall be held seven days after voting, wherein the candidates for Prime Minister nominated by at least one third of the total number of Deputies shall be entitled to participate. In case Prime Minister is not elected by majority of votes of the total number of Deputies, the National Assembly shall be dissolved by virtue of law”.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan