Armenia’s parliament has elected opposition leader Nicol Pashinyan as new prime minister at the second attempt.
In today’s vote, 59 MPs supported his candidacy, including some from the ruling Republican Party, 42 were against. A week ago, the Republican Party blocked Pashinyan.
On May 8, Pashinyan was backed by 12 Republicans, who are businessmen or representatives of national minorities. The rest of the party voted nay.
In late April, YELQ faction at the Armenian National Assembly nominated Nicol Pashinyan, the leader of the recent protests in the country, as prime-ministerial candidate. After the ruling party blackballed him, a nationwide strike started.
As reported earlier, Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced his resignation after a wave of protests across the country. He is leaving after protests which started on April, 13.
On April 9, the newly elected president Armen Sarkissian dismissed the government. When the presidential term of the previous leader of the country ended, the amended text of the Constitution came into force. According to it, Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic, and power will be concentrated in the hands of a government, not a president. But the ruling coalition’s decision to nominate Serzh Sargsyan, who had already been a two-term president in the period of 2008-2018, as Prime Minister triggered a wave of protests.
