Armenian Parliament Fails to Elect PM

The Armenian Parliament was unable to a new Prime Minister during the May 1 session as the opposition candidate Nikol Pashinyan nominated by Yelk faction received 45 votes for and 56 against.

The next election for Prime Minister is set for May 8, when the candidates will be nominated by 1/3 of the overall number of deputies. 

The Republican Party of Armenia, which is the ruling party, did not vote for Pashinyan on Tuesday.

Before voting, Pashinyan said that there are no other candidates for PM, but added that it does not matter who the Prime Minister will be.

“What matters is that the people have taken the power of the country into their own hands,” he said, adding that the world is praising the developments in Armenia.

There are four 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 Alliance has 31 seats, and the Yelk faction has 9 seats. 

According to the Constitution, in case of failure to elect a Prime Minister, a second round of elections is held seven days later. In the second round, candidates nominated by at least one third of the total number of MPs are entitled to participate in the election. If a Prime Minister isn’t elected in the second round, Parliament is dissolved by virtue of law.

Armenian media reports that the protest rallies that started on April 13 demanding the resignation of then PM Serzh Sargsyan, still continue in the country.

Armeniapress.am says demonstrators, including school students, on strike blocked the road leading to the Zvartnots airport today.

“Many tourists are seen leaving vehicles and going to the airport on foot, carrying their luggage,” the article reads.

There is a heavy police presence at the scene. The Ashtarak-Yerevan highway is also closed.

By Thea Morrison