YEREVAN. – On Wednesday at 5pm, demonstrators in Yerevan have reopened all the streets and roads they had closed off since early morning, and they are heading to Republic Square, the heart of the capital city of Armenia.

Opposition movement leader, Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan had called on his supporters to reopen the roads at 5pm and be at Republic Square for a rally, which is slated for kickoff at 7pm.

Also, Pashinyan stated that they are waiting for new developments every minute. “[But] if they don’t happen, we have other options,” he added.

Many main streets in Yerevan as well as in several other cities in Armenia plus the highway leading to Zvartnots International Airport were closed off by protesters, since early Wednesday morning. Also, numerous enterprises and institutions joined the calls for labor strikes and boycotting of classes. In addition, attorneys staged protests outside the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Cassation, and cultural figures—outside the Ministry of Culture.

The NA on Tuesday did not endorse—with a vote of 45 for and 56 against—Nikol Pashinyan’s candidacy as Prime Minister. The parliamentary majority faction of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia voted against Pashinyan, who was the only candidate.

At the subsequent rally on Tuesday evening, Pashinyan called on his supporters to on Wednesday resume their peaceful and nonviolent campaign of civil disobedience—such as boycotting of school classes, staging of labor strikes, and blocking of streets and the Yerevan subway.

On May 8, a new election for PM will be held at the NA, during which the respective candidates can be nominated by at least one-third of the total number of MPs—in the 105-seat parliament.

And if a PM is not elected this time, too, the current NA will be dissolved by law.

Subsequently, a snap parliamentary election will be conducted.