YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has announced ceasing all civil disobedience campaigns on April 30 and holding meetings in the parliament with factions.

Speaking at the April 29 rally in Yerevan’s Republic Square, Pashinyan said that he has very important work to do in the parliament tomorrow – meeting with all parliamentary factions. He called on his supporters to suspend all civil disobedience demonstrations.

“I have very important work to do from the morning in the National Assembly. I have to meet with representatives of all parliamentary factions, in order to be able to give you information as result of these discussions that the election of your candidate is guaranteed. I will not be able to calmly work in office conditions if I know that civil disobedience campaigns are taking place in different parts of the country. We are taking a break tomorrow and we are not carrying out any civil disobedience action, in order to be able to work calmly. I am urging from this moment on to stop contacting HHK lawmakers through phone messages. According to initial agreement, tomorrow I will meet on your behalf with them, as a candidate for Prime Minister, in order to discuss our agenda entirely and make it reality,” he said.

He said he will be at the Garegin Nzhdeh Square of Yerevan at 17:00 and they will march to the Republic Square from there.

“In Republic Square, I will tell you about the results of negotiations, and together we will decide our future tasks depending on the situation. In any case, the next day, from the morning, we are gathering from all provinces in the Republic Square from 08:00.

Regarding where we will spend May 1, how we will spend the day, it depends on the political situation in the country on that day,” Pashinyan said.

He also talked about his meeting with Russian State Duma lawmakers. He said the meeting proceeded in a very warm atmosphere and they separated as friends – saying for the record that this all doesn’t anyhow threaten the Armenian-Russian friendship, on the contrary these relations will develop even more in the future.

On April 23, at 16:00, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned as widespread protests entered the 11th day. 

On the same day, as required by law, the government resigned.

First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan was named acting PM at an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Later it was announced that Mr. Karapetyan will have a meeting with Mr. Pashinyan – leader of the opposition – on April 25. But around midnight of April 24, the government said that the meeting has been cancelled because the opposition leader unilaterally made new demands. Acting PM Karen Karapetyan addressed the President to organize a meeting in a format of his preference, with participation of a wide spectrum of political parties within and outside the parliament.

On April 25, the President announced he is starting consultations with both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties.

Later in the day Serzh Sargsyan, President of the ruling party – the Republican Party of Armenia – HHK – said he has requested a meeting with members of the Republican faction of the parliament. At the meeting, Sargsyan presented the reasons of his recent resignation in detail and spoke about different formats of working in the parliament – urging to prioritize domestic stability and security of the country in everything, which in case of any decision can be implemented only through unity of Republicans.

An agreement was reached to announce that the Republican faction is ready to discuss any issue with all sides without preconditions. An agreement was also reached to start discussing in the HHK executive bodies the issue of changing the party’s president.

The Speaker of Parliament announced that elections of a new Prime Minister will be held May 1.

“In accordance to paragraph 3, article 140 of the constitutional law on the parliament’s rules of procedure, I announce that the issue of election of a Prime Minister will be debated on May 1 at 12:00, in an extraordinary session of parliament convened by virtue of law,” Speaker Ara Babloyan said.

According to the Constitution, parliamentary factions are entitled to nominate candidates for PM within 7 days after the resignation of the PM, after which the election is held through an open voting in the parliament.

The opposition Yelk faction announced that their candidate for PM is Nikol Pashinyan.

On April 28, HHK, the ruling party, said it will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming election.

The Tsarukyan faction also said it will not nominate a candidate and endorsed “the people’s candidate”.

On April 29, the ARF said they endorse the candidacy of Nikol Pashinyan for the upcoming election on May 1.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan