YEREVAN, MAY 1, ARMENPRESS. Gagik Tsarukyan, head of the Tsarukyan faction of the Armenian Parliament, assures that he hasn’t put forward preconditions for supporting Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy for the Prime Minister, no issue of portfolios has been discussed, reports Armenpress.

“We haven’t had such conversation. We did this for development”, Gagik Tsarukyan told reporters.

He said they are ready to cooperate with Pashinyan in the future and implement his programs if they are desired by the people. “As we have listened, Nikol Pashinyan in his remarks says what is desired by the people and us”, he said.

Gagik Tsarukyan stated that different political forces, figures have proposed him to be nominated for the Prime Minister, but he refused as he respects the people’s decision.

The extraordinary sitting has kicked off in the Armenian parliament where lawmakers are debating the election of a new Prime Minister.

The only nominated candidate for Prime Minister is opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was nominated by the opposition Yelk faction.

Two other factions – Tsarukyan and the ARF – have endorsed the opposition MPs candidacy.

Pashinyan will need at least 53 votes to be elected Prime Minister, which means he will require at least 6 votes from the ruling party.

There are 4 factions in the Armenian parliament. The Republican Party (RPA) 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: Aneta Harutyunyan