YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS. The Republican Party of Armenia is committed to its earlier statement and will support with sufficient voted the election of a Prime Minister on May 8, Republican Party (HHK) faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan told reporters in parliamentary press briefings.

“We haven’t had discussions on other developments. We have our decision until May 8 – to support the election of Prime Minister, and after this we will discuss the remaining issues,” he said.

Baghdasaryan clarified that the HHK continues having the same concerns which their lawmakers had voiced during parliamentary debates on May 1.

“Our main concerns relate to the change of foreign policy vector. These concerns remain, and Nikol Pashinyan is aware about it. However, we, seeing the reality that our citizens who went out to rallies, the initiators of these rallies are adamant in their stances, we made a decision that we will support the candidate of the parliament’s 1/3 in the second round. For settling the situation in the country we made a political decision to support in order for a Prime Minister to be elected on May 8 because the most important thing for us is the establishment of stability in our country,” he said.

The second round of the vote for electing a Prime Minister will take place May 8 in the Armenian parliament after lawmakers failed to make the election on May 1. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, head of the Yelk (Exit) faction, was the sole candidate in the election. Pashinyan, the MP who spearheaded massive demonstrations throughout the country for about two weeks, failed to be elected by a 56-45 vote. He needed at least 53 votes to be named Prime Minister.

The opposition leader has already been officially nominated as a candidate for the second round. Pashinyan is endorsed by the Tsarukyan and ARF factions, in addition to his own faction – Yelk.

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 faction has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats. 

According to the Constitution, if a Prime Minister isn’t elected in the second round also, the parliament is dissolved by virtue of law.

The ruling party said it will not nominate their own candidate for the second round, just like in the first round. However, the HHK said it will not block the election and will support it.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan